The Sword Smith's Secret
by MissKatt18
Summary: Sesshoumaru despises the blade his father has left him. When he goes to Totosai to demand a sword to be forged, he meets an unexpected assistant that will have a role in forging his sword. Now, he is forced to win her favor in order for his sword to be fabricated for the impending war. What happens when she turns out to be more valuable than what he thought?
1. Origin of the Blades

**A/N: Hey everyone :3 Yes, _another_ story. This is an AU, but set around the same time as the series. I think this one has the potential to be my next favorite fic, but –shrugs- who knows? Enjoy!**

**A huge special thanks to my friend Kayelyn for helping me sort out this plunnie. Thank you so much, girl! If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't have started this story :3 You've gotten me excited about it and helped me shape it so far! You're the BEST!**

**-MissKatt**

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter One: Origin of the Blades

The great taiyoukai of the West made his way to his old friend's cave, his mind set clearly on his goal. His boots sunk into the soot covered ground, a few of the many, small streams of lava swimming dangerously close to the path that led to the entrance. He glanced up at the skeleton of the large, worm like youkai, his mouth serving as the door to the sword smith's work shop. Ducking past the rows of sharp teeth, he continued down to the belly of the deceased creature.

"Totosai," His voice rang out strong, the power in his tone bouncing off of the hallow bones that lined the room.

The old sword smith blinked his bug eyes a few times as he realized someone was speaking to him. He looked up from his most current project to look at his guest, closing his mouth to stop the stream of fire from burning the all-too-intimidating inuyoukai. The blade in his hands glowed with red anger in protest before slowly fading back to a grey color once its heat source had vanished. "Ah, Touga-sama, what brings you here on a summer night? Need an escape from the pups already, eh? Or perhaps your bickering women? Must be hard to have the two of them both within the same walls."

The Lord of the West let out a chuckle and sat down on one of the tatami mats by the small fire pit on the floor. "They have gotten better since Inuyasha was born," He replied and accepted the cup of tea from his long-time friend. "Still, despite their differences in races, they are both skilled in the sharp wit of words."

"You do know how to pick 'em. I trust your bond with Izayoi-sama is keeping her well?" He replied and sat across from him.

The lord grinned. "She is well, indeed. Still has the same fire she had the first day I met her. Plus, she is a great mother to Inuyasha."

"Ah yes, young Lord Inuyasha. How old is he now? Twenty-three summers?"

Touga shook his head, his long ponytail of silver silk swaying as he did. "Time moves too quickly. He is now fifty-seven falls and already standing as tall as my waist."

Totosai sighed softly and nodded. "Time seems to give no pause when it comes to war and loved ones."

"Indeed not, my friend," Sipping his tea, he hummed thoughtfully before continuing. "I can only hope that this war will be the last in my rein."

"Ah, I see how it is now, leaving young Master Sesshoumaru to do the rest in his own rein?" The old man wiggled his brows before grinning mischievously. "Your age must be catching up to you."

The taiyoukai barked out a short laugh, his fangs gleaming in the dull firelight. "Perhaps so, Totosai, perhaps so. But, as much as I disprove of pointless fighting and wars, sometimes it is necessary to prove your dominance over other lands and foes."

The two fell into a silence, reminiscing on past battles they were each involved in one way or another. "How _does_ go the Young Heir?" He knew his friend had been having issues with the eldest prince.

Touga stared down into his mug, his amber eyes dull with the thoughts of his troubled son. "Do not get me wrong, he is everything I want him to be and he is my blood no matter what."

"But?" He pressed, sensing the pause and dismay in the youkai across from him.

"His thirst for power is too great. He is too eager to join my side on the battle front and slash down the foes around us. He is constantly requesting a sword to be created for him because for every one that he touches, breaks." He tapped his claws alongside the cup. "It troubles me, especially his attitude towards his half-brother. He is not pleased by the mixing of our blood with that of a human's."

He nodded and raised his hand to his head, using a single claw to scratch the top of his bare skin. "Perhaps it is just a phase, Touga-sama. He is still in his adolescent years, no?"

"Hai, barely two hundred," A smile graced his lips as he thought of his first born. "But he is strong and tall, his head already at my shoulders. His posture is perfect, his stances almost there. His attacks are swift and calculative. His mind is sharp and his words intelligent; he is a cunning boy, there is no doubt in my mind about it."

"Yet you question his morals."

It was not a question. He nodded once. "I simply hope that, as you said, it is but a phase. The people need a fair ruler, not a heartless one."

He nodded once more and looked over his friend carefully. So'unga was strapped to his back, no other swords resting within his obi. Thinking back, he had not seen the great youkai before him with any other powerful weapon. He wore no replacement armor, had insisted on waiting until his new set was finished, which he no doubt knew he was checking on. Very rarely did he receive a visit from the mighty Inu no Taisho, thus he could not help but be suspicious. So, he cut straight to the point. "So, my friend, what can I do for you?"

Touga's face grew serious once more and he lifted his gaze to stare at Totosai. "I have a rather large request for you and your assistant."

"Oh? Did I hear the great Inu no Taisho make a reference to me?"

He looked away from Totosai and gave a small smile when he saw the beautiful miko walk into the room to join them, a large, covered item in her arms. Her long, dark brown hair was tied back into a low ponytail, the crest on her forehead showing her powerful status for all to see. The inuyoukai got to his feet and helped her with the item, knowing all too well what it was. He tore the cloth from the metal and smirked down at the find craftsmanship of his new armor.

"Totosai, Midoriko-san, you have out done yourselves this time." He commented, running his fingertips down the shoulder plates and across the spikes.

She bowed to him. "It is only because you continue to challenge us, Touga-sama. And, if I heard correctly, you have yet another task for us?"

Setting down his armor, he nodded and looked at them once more. "I need two swords to be forged."

"Oh," She said softly, blinking. "Well, we do make swords after all." She released a soft laugh before giving him a brilliant smile.

He let a smile ghost his lips before continuing. Her holy nature could calm the most savage of beasts. "And no others could make swords to fit my expectations."

"But of course not! You are the one who got the two of us working together after all." She replied. It was true. Never had she ever expected to be a youkai sword smith's partner, but Touga had changed that for her. She had been approached by him a few years ago, asking her to help build him his first set of armor. She accepted, owing him for saving her village from a pesky boar youkai.

When she had first agreed, she did not expect to work with a youkai to make the armor. She thought she would only have to cast a spell on the armor to create a protective barrier, but she was gravely mistaken. Her and Totosai bickered the entire time, cursing each other for doing one thing or another wrong. But, once the task was complete, neither could deny how great the outcome was. From then on, they decided to work together in secret.

Totosai let out a heavy sigh. "Oh, I can see the amount of work already."

Touga nodded. "I will not lie, I ask for much. For both swords, you will use my fang as the blade. For the first sword, it needs to be so powerful that I can kill one hundred souls in one swipe. It will be for Inuyasha when he is older."

Midoriko furrowed her brow. "Does this have anything to do with the ridicule he has been receiving due to his hanyou nature?"

"Indeed, I foresee it becoming only worse. I anticipate youkai and humans alike coming to raise arms against him. He is forever an outcast by the two; accepted by neither, hated by both." He felt leaving his youngest with a powerful sword was the least he could do if he was not personally there to protect him.

"Are there any other attributes you wish this sword to possess?" She asked, a smile on her face. What a loving father, to look after his son even after death.

His amber eyes met her grey ones. "I wish for you to mix your own reki into the sword so that it may subdue his youkai side," He was no fool. He knew how strong his blood and youki were. He assumed that one day the youki in his son's blood would try to overpower that of the human blood mixed within it. He knew not what it would do or how bad it would be, but he would take no chances. "Also, you must make it so that no youkai, other than myself and Inuyasha, may touch it. A sword of this power must not be able to be used if it were to fall in the wrong hands."

"Do you mean young Master Sesshoumaru?" Totosai asked, raising a brow at the taiyoukai.

Touga glanced to the side. "He, as well as others. If rumors of the power of the sword were to spread, I have no doubt that others would seek to wield it."

"It is understandable, Touga-sama. You are doing the right thing." Midoriko said, offering him a supportive smile. "I will make sure this is done."

Her calming aura soothed his upset mood. "Arigato, Midoriko-san. As for the other," He paused and let a small smirk curl up his lips. "It is for Sesshoumaru, but he will hate it greatly."

"Any son should be proud to have a sword given to him by his father." The miko pointed out, tilting her head to the side.

"Not with this particular sword. I want you to create a blade that can revive one hundred souls in one swing," He watched Totosai's mouth fall open and nodded to the unspoken question. "Yes, for Sesshoumaru. He is so obsessed with power that I fear giving him a powerful sword will do nothing but harm everyone."

"So, you wish to make a sword that cannot kill?" Totosai asked, bug eyes widening even further.

His devilish smirk returned. "Not a sword that cannot kill, a sword that cannot cut at all."

Totosai fell over in shock. That was it; his friend had gone mad! Oh, how the mighty fall! He would have to start preparing his grave when his kingdom shunned him for lack of sanity! Oh, the despair!

"A sword of the Heaven's, hm?" She asked, putting her hand to her chin. "It can revive the dead, but cannot cause any death of its own. I must say, Touga-sama, this is a challenge indeed, but I look forward to forging it!" She nearly giggled at the idea of it. She loved when she was pushed to her limit, making her powers stronger by straining them.

"You agree to this, Midoriko?! You have gone mad as well! Oh, woes me!" He screeched. He turned to Touga and pointed a wrinkled, clawed finger at him. "You have doomed me by giving me this task."

"How has he doomed you? The sword is not even in existence yet!" She retorted for him, pursing her lips at her partner. And he said they were crazy?

The taiyoukai snorted out another laugh. "I believe I might have indeed, my friend, for Sesshoumaru will hate it with a passion and render it useless. My apologies, Totosai, but this is a test for my son."

"Test?" She echoed when Totosai just sat there crying about fallen miko and youkai.

"Yes, when the day comes that he uses that sword for something meaningful and forgets about Inuyasha's sword…that will be the day when you will forge him a true sword of power. I press that you do not create him a _true_ sword until this day comes, can I rely on you for that?" He asked, his tone serious. He did not want his heir to have anything close to Inuyasha's until he gave compassion for someone else.

"Ah, I see," The miko nodded in understanding and looked at the stunned Totosai. When he nodded in agreement, she looked back at Touga. "Milord, I must ask, did you wish for me to add something as well?"

He broke out into another grin. "You know me too well, it seems, Midoriko. I simply want him to be protected from the first sword's power. If I know my sons, their bickering will only get worse. They will come to draw swords against each other and when Inuyasha masters his sword, I want Sesshoumaru to be protected from the power. Perhaps when the spell is activated, that is when he will give up his desire for it, but I doubt I will be around to find out."

She frowned and clenched her hands on the fabric of her hakama. "Please, Touga-sama, do not speak of your death. It would bring about too much sadness for many."

He gave her a sad smile. "It will come, Midoriko-san, the only question is when."

**A/N: :) what do you all think so far? Trust me, you have no idea what lays ahead of you XD Well, Kaye does :P **


	2. The Not So Useless Blade

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Two: The Not-So-Useless Blade

He, the taiyoukai of the West, could not believe his current situation. Never had he been caught off guard; he always held the upper hand in battle. But it seemed there was a first time for everything. However, this was only because it was not a fair fight. His senses had been dulled by his enemy's miasma, his nose too overwhelmed by the smell to scent any enemy and his eyes were dulled by the thick smoke.

The coward.

Never could Naraku face him on his own, he always had to have some trick up his sleeve. Still, he would not back down from a challenge. Naraku thought that he could sneak up on him and attack after rendering his senses useless, but he still had his sharp instincts. The spider hanyou lord of the South would not win this way; not by playing tricks from the shadows. They were at war. Was he really such a coward that he would not even fight a fair fight on the battlefield?

He lifted his hand and let his long, claw-tipped fingers wrap around the cool handle of his sword. He pulled the blade free from his obi and swung it until it was directly in front of him, his feet sliding apart so that he was in a defensive stance. To think the hanyou had actually _hit_ him had infuriated him, but his icy mask would not reveal it; would not allow his enemy the pleasure of seeing his demeanor twist.

With his ears, he heard the movement of one of the puppet's tentacles slice through the air, the sharp wood branch heading straight towards him. He tightened his grip on Tokijin and swiftly swung his blade towards where he knew the thing would be. Sure enough, his blade cut through it, a soft 'thump' confirming his hit as it fell to the ground. His enemy would have to do better than this.

A deep chuckle rang out throughout the thick miasma, the hanyou mocking the Western Lord. "It seems I will finally defeat you, Sesshoumaru. The victory is mine."

"You will never have the West." He replied, his silky voice remaining calm.

"Your position suggests otherwise, dog!" Naraku spat through his puppet and made it attack once more.

The taiyoukai grew tired of it. He swung his blade at the direction he sensed the puppet coming in and sent out his attack, hundreds of youki needles firing from the blade and sinking into the several tentacles. When he heard the puppet still moving, he swing Tokijin once more, a massive wave of blue youki quickly crashing down upon the puppet. As the puppet disintegrated, it released another strong burst of miasma.

But it did not conceal the presence of the new person from him.

"Fuujin no Mai!"

He quickly jumped to the side, dodging the wind blades. He narrowed his eyes and raised Tokijin into a defensive state once more. He heard the soft footsteps on the ground as the person approached him. He heard the shuffle of a fan and felt his long, silver hair swish about in a flurry as a wave of air hit him. He watched as the field cleared of the miasma, leaving a woman in its wake.

With crimson red eyes, the woman took in her opponent. So, this was Sesshoumaru. "I am Kagura, ever so faithful of Naraku. He has ordered me to cut you down. Are you prepared?"

"Hn," The inuyoukai had yet to encounter this female henchman of the hanyou. Was Naraku so desperate that he would send a woman to fight him on his behalf? How pathetic. "Leave while I still grant you the option to."

Her brow furrowed in anger. "Do not take me so lightly!" She shouted and waved her fan at him once more, sending another wave of wind blades at him.

He easily deflected them with his sword and released a wave of youki needles at her. She scoffed and sent another attack, canceling out his. This was the youkai they were up against? With such weak attacks, Naraku should have won already. Perhaps the master she hated with the passion from hell was finally losing his touch.

But then in a flash he was gone. Sensing his movements, she quickly jumped back and swung her fan again, summoning a swarm of youkai to her. They blocked Sesshoumaru from reaching her, creating a wall between them before he could slice off her head.

"You are outnumbered, Western Lord." She stated, bringing her fan to cover her lips as she released a menacing laugh.

Narrowing his molten honey eyes, he channeled his youki into his blade once more. Once he deemed it ready, he spoke its command, "Soryuha," A stream of blue-white youki emerged from the blade, swirling around him until it took the shape of a dragon.

Kagura's eyes widened a fraction as she saw the powerful attack until her partner stepped forward, her black, emotionless eyes looking down at the mirror in her hands. "Kanna?"

Not responding to her sister, she lifted her head and watched as the youki dragon shot towards them, destroying the weak youkai in its path. She then held her up her mirror a fraction of an inch and muttered something incoherent. Then, without warning, the mirror glowed bright and shined on the dragon along with the surrounding youkai, the rays pulling it all into the confinement of the glass.

Standing on guard once more, Sesshoumaru watched as the mirror flared with another bright light before his attack was thrown back at him, the youkai a heartbeat behind it. He raised Tokijin to reabsorb his attack, but fighting off the youkai surrounding it would prove difficult with one hand. He lit his claws with his poison whip and whipped it to the swarm of youkai, killing what he could while his one hand still held Tokijin.

"Ryuuja no Mai!"

He saw the several spinning twisters head straight towards him, the demoness's wind blades mixed in with the attack. Snarling, he realized he had no way out of the attack. He would have to choose the less damaging one. That was until the blade in his obi began to gleam brightly, warmth spreading through the sheath and filling his body. He was forced to close his eyes as the brightness intensified once the attacks were upon him.

Kagura used her fan to shield her eyes away from the blinding light. When it finally dimmed back down, she lowered her weapon to see that their opponent was gone. "Hm, it seems the war is ours. He was not much of a challenge, was he?"

"He is not dead." Kanna replied, her voice as soft as a gentle breeze. With that said, she turned around and began walking away, heading back towards their lands.

"Wait, what do you mean? We hit him dead on!" She called after her sister.

"He escaped," She answered, her voice barely audible as she traveled further away from her sister. "We must report to Naraku."

She paled at the thought. "Must we? We should just track him down and attack again!"

"He is gone. Naraku already knows of your failure."

Huffing in embarrassment, Kagura snapped her fan shut with a click and followed after her sister. She was greatly disappointed that she had not succeeded. Naraku had promised that if she were to kill Sesshoumaru, he would return her freedom. She took a deep breath and looked up at the canopy of trees above her, the rays of sunlight seeping through the lush green leaves to caress her soft skin. So long had she desired to be free like the birds; to fly freely without consequence. She simply wanted to run away and never have to worry about someone beckoning her or giving her lashings for disobeying orders.

Scowling with resentment, she made a silent vow to herself that she would be the one to kill the taiyoukai of the West. She _needed_ to free and he was her ticket out.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes, not realizing when exactly he had closed them, and sat up. When had he fallen asleep? Had he been knocked out by his opponent? Preposterous; never would that happen. He took a quick check of his surroundings for any threats and was content to see none. He found that he was near the border of his lands, perhaps a day away if he walked. Knowing the area well enough, he let himself look back on what had happened. He had been foolish, letting Naraku slip through his defenses so easily while patrolling his own lands.

He remembered the bombardment of attacks and the light that consumed him and let his eyes glance around until they rested on his broken sword. He was still holding Tokijin, but it was shattered, nothing but the hilt and a sliver of the blade remaining. It seemed the sword could not withstand its own attack. Frustrated with the fact that he had broken another sword, he flung it to the side, letting the darkness of the forest consume it.

Sesshoumaru felt a steady pulse on his hip and looked down to see Tenseiga, a fading glow still around it. Curious, he removed the sheathed sword from his obi and let his amber eyes glance over it. That was right; he remembered his father's sword glowing and warming at his side. So it was Tenseiga who saved him from battle. He could recall not once when the sword had spoken to him. Since he had come to possess it, it had been silent, never speaking to its own owner. He thought it to be a dud, especially when he witnessed Tessaiga constantly speaking to his half-brother while in battle.

Tessaiga. He gripped Tenseiga hard, the sword pulsing in protest before the light disappeared altogether. Even after three hundred years, he still could not fathom why his father would give Inuyasha the powerful blade instead of him. He was his heir! His only full blooded inuyoukai son. He had respected his father to no end. Ever since he was a pup, he strove to be like him even after he mated with a human. He did everything to be like his father and earn his respect. Did his lineage and perfect uprising not count for anything?

He deemed it as not for he gave the precious heirloom to his idiotic half-brother. The hanyou was worthless! He was too hard headed and reckless, swinging blindly into battle without analyzing anything. Never did he wait for an order to attack and always did he go against any other order given to him. He lacked every graceful aspect an inuyoukai should possess. Yet he received the most powerful sword his father had created.

Once more, he looked down at the useless sword in his hands. The Sword of the Heavens. Why would his father even create such a pointless weapon? What had his father said all those centuries ago?

_A series of clapping rang out throughout the courtyard of the Western Palace. Inukimi and Izayoi sat next to each other on the grass, comfortable cushions beneath them to keep their kimono from being ruined. Sesshoumaru sat next to his mother, their stoic masks gone as they looked at their lord in awe. Inuyasha was to the side of Izayoi, the two of them cheering Touga on for his greatness. Behind them were a few servants, some quivering in fear from the raw power of the blade. They had all just witnessed Touga's demonstration of his new sword and could not help but be impressed._

_"Ahh! Amazing, Otou-sama!" A little Inuyasha cooed after witnessing his father cut down a large group of rogue youkai in one swing. He leapt to his bare feet and ran to his father's side, bouncing up and down. "Otou-sama is the best! I wanna try it too!"_

_The Inu no Taisho grinned down at his youngest son and sheathed Tessaiga, the massive blade transforming back into its dormant shape as it slid into its holder. He placed a clawed hand on his son's head and ruffled his hair. "Soon you will have such power, Inuyasha; you just have to wait until you are older."_

"_Otou-sama, what does this one do?" Sesshoumaru asked, standing on the other side of his father and pointing to the second blade in his father's obi. "Is it the same as Tessaiga?" _

_He did not miss the eagerness in his tone. He knew he hoped one was for him. Still, he grinned at his question, knowing just how well Sesshoumaru would come to know the sword. He pulled it from his obi and held it out for his boys to see. "It can revive the same hundred Tessaiga had previously cut down."_

_"Revive? Why would you want to revive the ones that you purposefully killed?" Sesshoumaru was thoroughly confused._ _Just because he created one sword to cut down hundred youkai in one swing didn't mean a sword had to be produced to reverse its effects. It was redundant._

_"To create a sense of equality, my son. When there is an evil created, a pure essence must be made as well to balance each other out. That is what Tenseiga is. It is Tessaiga's brother, much like you and Inuyasha." Touga replied, holding each of his new treasures in his hands. _

_"Hn," He crossed his arms over his chest. "Then Inuyasha must be Tenseiga for he is weak. I am Tessaiga; strong, powerful, and deadly, everything Inuyasha is not."_

_Inuyasha blinked, registering the insult. "H-hey! That's not nice! Otou-sama! He called me Tenseiga!"_

_Touga let out a chuckle and slid his swords back into his obi. He then picked up his youngest and balanced him on his hip as he soothed him. "Trust me, young one, it is not a bad thing. Sesshoumaru will see that in due time."_

He 'hn'ed at the memory. His father's words still puzzled him. He did not see how Tenseiga was not an insult. The sword was useless to him, despite what had just occurred. Yes, it had saved him, but now he could be viewed as a coward for running from a battle. He let a growl rumble in his chest. He did _not_ run from a battle.

Growing tired of his own aggravation, he stood and prepared to leave. He slid the sword back into its place in his obi and headed off towards the East, the opposite direction of his lands. He needed a new sword.

A strong sword.

It was time to pay Totosai another visit. It had been one hundred years, surely the youkai would have changed him mind by now. After all, he had been one of his father's closest friends, always crafting him armor and swords. Did he not have any pull to grant the son of his friend a sword? And, if he still refused, he would use force to get his way.

No one could deny the Lord of the West anything.


	3. The Assistant

**A/N: -lip quiver- You guys are so amazing. Thank you so much for your support already! I'm very excited for this!**

**Again, thanks Kaye for helping me develop this plot :3**

**-MissKatt**

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Three: The Assistant

Sesshoumaru stood in front of the opening to the sword smith's cave. This time there was no way he was going to leave without a sword; he would not be denied any longer. He deserved a powerful sword! He needed one that would withstand his relentless strength, especially with the oncoming battles of the war at hand. Naraku would not win due to a faulty blade that could not live up to its expectations.

Amber scowl set in place, he stalked into the depth of the cave, his footsteps silent along the compact dirt. As he walked throughout the worm-like youkai skeleton, he took note of the rise in temperature and knew he was reaching the workshop area. As he entered the large room, he looked around before noticing a scrawny boy working hard over a blade.

"Boy," His word was sharp and thick with authority. It sliced through the quiet setting as if it were tofu. He glared as he was promptly ignored; the boy's back not so much as tensing to reveal whether or not he had heard him. He scoffed at the ridiculousness of the thought. Unless his ears were lame, there was no way he did not hear him. "Boy!" he said more sternly.

He continued to ignore him, the hide he was using rubbing vigorously along the blade in repetitive, even, strokes. A cloth was tied around his head, his black hair disappearing within it. He was a thin boy; the clothes on his skin were loose and baggy. His haori was short sleeved, resting right above his elbows. His hakama hacked to below his knee and tied to keep them in place, creating a poof effect much like his own hakama that were tucked in his boots. Dirt covered his arms, his hands disappearing into short black gloves.

His amber eyes glared with the fire of the sun. He was _not_ one to be ignored, especially by some human male in raggedy clothes. "Do not make me call upon you once more, boy. You will answer me when you are addressed to. Do you understand?"

Silence rang throughout the room save for the rubbing sound of the leather on the blade. An irritable growl escaped his lips. "I am not playing, boy. Answer me!" Again, he was ignored. He had had enough. This Sesshoumaru did not play games. He cracked his knuckles before he let his claws glow neon green with his youki. Flicking his wrist, a whip extending from his digits and heading straight for the boy.

CLANK!

Sesshoumaru was stunned, to say the least, though he did not show it. This human male had actually deflected his whip! His reaction speed was so…_quick_ for a human, even for that of a lesser youkai. Who was this man? How were his senses so keen?

"Ch," The boy said with a very feminine voice, clicking his tongue. He turned around fully to face the youkai, his lips pursed together. "You made me scratch the blade. I was almost done polishing it too."

The taiyoukai of the West was not accustomed to being blamed for such trivial things. It was his own fault for not responding to him. "Boy-" His eyes snapped open wide when the blade was suddenly hurled at him. It barely made a sound as it left the boy's hand and pierced through the air. Luckily for his speed and senses, he avoided it, the sword sticking straight into the wall where his head used to be. With a growl, he pulled the blade from the wall and pointed it at the boy. "I grow tired of your disrespect. Do you so eagerly wish for death?"

The boy quickly drew a sword from its sheath and met his opponent's eyes with sapphire blue. "My disrespect? Pardon me, youkai, but I am not the one addressing someone wrongly."

His amber pools narrowed. "Do not speak to me in riddles." He would end this fool's existence for his incompetence. He charged at him with his youkai speed, but his blow was blocked by the blade. How could he read his movements? His lip curled up in displeasure. There would be no more mercy or reservations. He picked up his speed and charged again, but this time, instead of the sword slicing into the boy's flesh where it was aimed, he was repelled back by a pink barrier before it disappeared. Reki?

"Ah, you are as strong as they say, Sesshoumaru. But, I still think your senses are off." He replied, untying the cloth that bound back his hair. He had managed to break the barrier with the power of his swing.

The taiyoukai, momentarily forgetting the lack of honorific, furrowed his brow when long, raven hair fell from the tie, landing at the boy's waist. It was then that he noticed two small, non-manly mounds upon the 'boy's' chest. Kami, he had been outwitted by a female; a miko nonetheless. "What are you doing here, girl?"

"Ah, now you have it right!" She laughed at him as she tied her hair back in a ponytail with the cloth. She held her hand out to him for the sword, looking at him with a sly smile. "I _was_ working until you rudely interrupted me."

He gave her the sword with a dark glare. "Nonsense; you cannot work here. This is the home of Totosai, the youkai sword smith."

"You are correct. I am his assistant," She said, placing the blade back down on its slate before beginning to polish it once more. "He is out at the moment, but should be returning shortly. Will you be waiting, Sesshoumaru?"

He raised his hand and tucked a strand of his silky, silver hair behind his pointed ear. "How is it you know of me?"

She laughed once more, the sound coming out in pants as she pushed her strength into the leather, rubbing it against the blade. "Who doesn't know about you? You are the Lord of the West and in war with the South," She shrugged. "It is all anyone speaks of in the towns. Well, that and your looks. My, do the females of the villages admire you."

"Hn," What else did he expect? The war was affecting everyone. Trade routes were closed, non-soldiers were dying, and supplies were dwindling. "I will wait."

"Would you like some tea?" She offered, still not turning his way as she continued to buff out the new scratch on the sword.

"I suppose it would be acceptable." He replied, shifting to sit down on the tatami mat by the fire. Perhaps this female was not as infuriating as he thought.

"The herbs are by the fire, a kettle with water there as well; help yourself," She answered and smirked once more when she heard his annoyed grunt.

No, she was still irritating.

A few minutes later, she placed the hide on her desk and sheathed the sword. "Ah, all done! Now all I have to do is deliver it!" She said happily and placed it on the row of swords. She turned towards the entrance of the cave when she saw her father-like figure hobble into the room. "Toto-ji!"

He smiled at her before gasping in horror when his beady eyes fell onto the taiyoukai. "S-Sesshoumaru-sama!"

The taiyoukai rose to his feet, towering over the sword smith by a few feet. "It is time, Totosai, for my sword to be created. Do you understand?"

He stared at him intently, his eyes wide. "Yes."

Sesshoumaru lifted a brow. "So you will finally make it?"

"No." He replied, tilting his head to the side. He looked down at Tenseiga and the back up at the taiyoukai. "What was the question?"

He growled loudly. "I grow tired of your senile ways, Old Man. You will make me my sword. You have served my father by creating his swords, so you are obligated to create one for me as well."

"It seems to me," The girl cut in, coming up to Totosai's side. "That you already have a finely made sword. Why do you need us to make you a new one?"

"Mind your own business, girl," He hissed, eyes narrowing. "And I do not need you to make it, only Totosai."

She shook her head with a knowing smile. "If he does create a sword for you, I will have a role in making it." She put her hands on her hips as she looked at him, her eyes traveling down to his sword; she could sense the broken reki barrier on it.

"I will not have some miko touch my blade and taint it. It will be powerful and full of youki, not of some weak reki to hold back its potential." He snapped, his lip curling up to show his distaste at the thought of it. It only lifted more when she laughed at him.

"Tell me, Sesshoumaru, has your blade helped you out in any way lately? Did it save you in the heat of battle?" She asked knowingly. When he just glared at her, she continued. "I will take that as a yes. That was the 'weak reki' in the blade."

"Lies," He spat and turned on her, his aura flaring threateningly. "Tenseiga is my father's sword, created from his very own fang. He was the most powerful youkai in his rein; he did not rely on a miko to help create his sword!"

"But he did, Sesshoumaru-sama," Totosai spoke up. "Even back then, my assistant was Midoriko, a very powerful miko. That is the secret behind my weapons."

The inuyoukai's eyes widened a fraction, his amber orbs displaying the shock from his words. "What of Tessaiga?"

The sword smith merely bobbed his head. "Hai, that one especially. The reki keeps Inuyasha's youki in balance as well as makes it so that only he and your father can touch it."

"Hn." All of that was from the power of a miko? He had no idea. Why hadn't his father told him as such?

"Also, Sesshoumaru-sama, I cannot create a sword for you until you have passed your father's test," Totosai spoke up.

"What test?" He snapped, this being the first time he had heard of such a thing. His father had set up a test for him? Surely there would be question if he would pass were it a question of strength or agility. That would be easily done.

"I can't tell you. That would be too easy," He said and quickly cowered behind his assistant when the Lord glared hard at him. "I can't!"

He flared his youki, his aura wrapping around the two in front of him. Why did they both insist on playing mind games with him? "How will I know if I pass this test?" He hissed out from a clenched jaw.

Totosai looked up at his daughter-like miko and suddenly had an idea. "Sesshoumaru-sama, have you met my assistant Kagome?"

He glanced at the miko and then back to the old youkai. "Briefly."

"Well, she will tell you when you have passed!"

"Ehh?" She asked, looking over her shoulder to peer down at the short sword smith. "Why me, Toto-ji?"

"Because of how your nature is. Only you will be able to deem when, if ever, it is fit for him to have a sword." He nodded in triumph, patting himself on the back for saving his own hide.

Kagome blinked. "But, Toto-"

Sesshoumaru released a deep growl. "Do not take me for a fool. No woman, much less a miko, will decide my fate. I _will_ have a sword, Totosai."

"Hey! Do not insult me just because of my heritage!" She snapped, putting her hands back on her hips.

He ignored her, his eyes pinned on the sword smith behind her. "Totosai-"

The sword smith held up his hand and shook his head. "If you want a sword, you will have to impress the lady first. That is the condition I have set in regards to your father's test."

With a scowl set in place, he promptly turned from the two and began walking away. He couldn't believe the sword smith was making a fool out of him. And not just the sword smith, his father, too! Why would his father set such a ridiculous hurtle in getting his sword? Did his father truly hate him after all? Or was this simply a way to continue to pester him even after death? Somehow, he imagined his father was laughing at him from the afterlife.

Stopping promptly, he exhaled silently as he made his decision. He would not let his father get the better of him; would not let him win in their little quarrel. "Miko," He said, not so much as turning to look at her. "Come."

She lifted a brow and crossed her arms over her chest. "Do not order me around, Sesshoumaru. You do not rule over me."

"Whether I rule over you or not, you will address me with respect," He hissed, the threat evident in his tone.

"I will address you as I please," She shot back. "Why should I respect you if you do not respect me? It goes both ways, Youkai."

He dug his claws into the flesh of his palm once more. For her sake, and the sake of his sanity, he chose to ignore her statement. "It seems that you are the one who will decide if I get a sword or not, so you _will_ come with me."

"Again, do not order me around," She said and looked at Totosai when he squeezed her shoulders, his eyes pleading her to go. Sighing, she gave in. "But, I will _allow_ you to accompany me while I deliver a sword. It is a four day travel to get there and back, so I hope you are prepared. However, please remember to not be a hypocrite. I will treat you the exact way you treat me. I do not put up with rudeness."

He ground his teeth together. With no other choice, he agreed with much reluctance. He needed a sword and all he had to do to get it was impress this miko. It should not be hard, he being the taiyoukai of the West, but he suspected that it would be a very long four days.


	4. Day One

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the support!**

**As always, a special thanks to Kayelyn for helping me develop this! **

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Four: Day One

Kagome had been waiting long enough. The sun was already up, the moon and stars disappearing with its presence so high in the sky. Normally, she would have left when both were present in the sky, getting a head start on her journey, but she had been kind enough to wait for the Lord. However, he was nowhere to be seen and she only had a few more hours until the sun was straight above her.

Sliding the two swords, one hers, the other her delivery, into her obi, she turned to Totosai. "Ja ne, Toto-ji! I will see you in four days' time!"

"Travel safely, Kagome. Come back as soon as you deliver the sword for I have a new project for you to work on." He replied, his beady eyes holding a gleam of worry. He hated seeing her off, and letting her go in the first place, but knew the child needed the fresh air. He only hoped Sesshoumaru would show up and accompany her. She would need the protection should any one find out- no; no one would find out. Shaking his head, he looked up when she hollered at him once more

"Hai, hai!" She called with a wave before turning away from him and beginning her trail down the path.

The miko hummed softly as she walked, a small smile on her face. She always loved getting out of the cave and walking to the villages. She wasn't able to get out much, if it wasn't her work, it was her grandpa-like figure. For some reason, he didn't approve of her getting out much. At first, she thought maybe it was because he didn't want people to know the secrets of his weapons, but she scratched that off as a reason when he freely told Sesshoumaru about it. So, what _was_ the reason?

With her mind so warped up in her thoughts, she failed to see the rather large rock in the path. Her sandaled foot connected it with it and she tripped ungraciously. Thankfully, she steadied herself before she fell on her face and straightened up. "Thank Kami. I did not need a bloodied nose…"

"Perhaps you should watch where you step, Miko."

With a startled squeak, she turned to see the taiyoukai standing there. His arms were crossed into his sleeves, an elegant brow raised in mockery. "How long have you been there?" She asked, an embarrassed blush on her cheeks.

"I have been walking behind you for nearly half an hour." He replied, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "It seems you are not that good of a miko; you could not even sense me."

Huffing, she brushed off invisible dirt and flipped her ponytail back over her shoulder. "You were late so I left without you." She stated, ignoring his comment before beginning to walk again.

He put his feet in motion and began to follow her, almost walking alongside her. "I do not believe I agreed to meet you at a specific time."

"I told you I was leaving as soon as day broke. I _believe_ it was implied." She countered, glancing over at him with narrowed eyes.

"Hn, I had other matters to attend to," He replied, not so much as looking her way.

She rolled her eyes and turned back forward, focusing on her path as she responded. "Matters more important than your sword? Well, seems you don't need it that bad, now do you?"

It was then that he glared at her. "Do not presume to know me, Miko. I had to make sure my lands were secure enough for me to take leave for four days."

She blinked and then smiled inwardly. At least he seems to care enough about his lands. That was good sign, right?

After walking for a while, Kagome suggested a stop for lunch. Her stomach was rumbling in hunger and she couldn't deny it food any longer. She sat down cross-legged on a grassy clearing to the side of the road and began to dig through her pack for her lunch. She knew she would have to stop tomorrow in a town to replenish her food source, but she would last till morning.

"Would you like a rice ball?" She asked him, looking up as she took out two wrapped bundles from her pack.

He glanced down at her from his standing position. "I do not eat your kind of food."

She looked up at his golden eyes with a skeptical look. "Oh, really? You are telling me that youkai do not eat rice?"

"On occasion." He looked away from her and towards the right where the clearing disappeared into the forest.

"Humph, well, I will it take as this not being an occasion. Well, suit yourself." She murmured and took a happy bite from her oniguri. As she chewed, she tensed when she felt a youkai presence approaching the right where he was looking. She quickly swallowed the bite and rose to her feet. She looked at Sesshoumaru and took in his mask of indifference. "Who, or what, is it?"

"Nothing of importance to you." He replied before turning to walk in that direction.

She blinked at his insolent behavior as he began walking away from her and towards the aura. "Well, aren't you rude?" She asked and pursed her lips together when he didn't acknowledge her and disappeared into the thick forest. "Ch, too bad, I'm not waiting for you." She murmured before slinging her pack back on and sliding the swords back into her obi. She then ventured back to the path and began her journey once more, eating her rice ball as she walked.

*~~~SSS~~~*

The miko sword smith could sense the agitation coming off her youkai companion. She glanced at him with her bright blue eyes and could practically see it coming off him in waves. He walked with his arms crossed into either sleeve, his amber orbs focused straight ahead. She couldn't help but note how his silver hair swayed and shimmered in the retreating sun. She let a soft huff of air escape her lips, he hadn't moved since he had met up with her once more a few hours ago.

"So, are you going to tell me what that youkai wanted? Did you kill it?"

The miko had asked it so suddenly and randomly, that he was almost startled. He lowered his lids as he walked and answered, "I have told you several times before, it is none of your concern." Did she not understand that? Why did she continue to pry into his business? If it had anything to do with her, perhaps he would inform her, but even as such, it was his choice to speak of it.

She sighed loudly. "I'm just trying to make conversation." She murmured and stared down at the gravel as they walked on. It wasn't bad when she walked on her own, but when she had a companion who wasn't speaking back, it made her feel awkward. "So, Sesshoumaru, tell me about yourself." Kagome tried, now desperate to make conversation.

He cast a sideways glance at her. Was this the moment of truth? "What do you wish to know?"

She adjusted her travel pack on her shoulder, pursing her lips as she thought about the question. Just how much did she want to know about this deadly inuyoukai that she had heard so much about? "I suppose as much as you are willing to divulge."

"Explain." She spoke too often in riddles; it bothered him. Sometimes he thought humans had too simple of minds, but recently he had begun to think maybe they were just too lame to even form a simple sentence of explanation.

She let out a soft sigh. "Every person has secrets and facts about them that they don't wish to reveal. So, I was saying that I will take whatever you will give me. Why don't you start with where you are from? We'll start at the very basics."

"Hn," He was not the type of person to discuss himself with others. He was a private person and found it pitiful when people so willingly opened themselves up to others. What was the point? However, deeming the circumstances, he decided to grace her with an answer. "The West."

She nodded and gnawed on the inside of her cheek. She already knew that, him being the Lord of the West and all, but she kind of hoped that he would elaborate. "I see. How long have you been ruling?"

"Two-hundred years."

"Do you like it?" She asked, she couldn't imagine being alive for more than fifty years, let alone two-hundred! And he only ruled for that long; so, how old was he?

"Yes."

"Do you have any parents?"

"One."

"Siblings?"

"One."

"Do you have a family of your own?"

"No."

"No wife?"

"No."

"Children?"

"No."

"Do you want a family?"

"No."

She puffed out her cheeks before letting out another sigh. He was definitely not the talkative type. Well, she was going to make him talk! "Why not?" She pressed, pleased at herself for coming up with a question that did not have a yes or no response to it.

He kept his gaze forward. "To have family is to have weakness; it only causes unnecessary issues." He answered nonchalantly.

"What?" She exclaimed, sapphire pools wide with disbelief. "How can you say that?"

"It is based on fact," He slanted his eyes down towards her once more. "Mates will never be faithful and pups will always disappoint you."

She sputtered in disbelief. "I do not believe that." She said sternly.

"If you were as old as I, Miko, you would see the truth. Examples of it are everywhere; you just cannot be blind to them." He remarked.

She fell into a silence. She couldn't argue with that. He had probably seen much more of the word than she could ever imagine in her mind. Sighing, she retreated her questioning for a moment. "We should make camp." She said, suddenly taking note of the darkening sky above them.

"Hn," Was all his reply. Honestly, humans were so weak. Could they really not make it through one day without sleep? Did they really harbor such little energy? Still, he followed her into the forest to their left.

Kagome set down her pack and pulled out two wool blankets once she found a small clearing. She laid one out and left the other folded atop of it. "I'm going to go find some dry wood for a fire." She stated before turning and going to gather twigs and little branches.

When she came back, she barely made out his form under one of the trees. She quickly started the fire by rubbing two stones together and settled back on her blanket. She wrapped her other one around her and dug through her bag for her wrapped dry meat. "So, Sesshoumaru, I have to ask. Have you ever even thought about having children? It's an amazing thing, I think!" She said with a smile before taking a bite of her dried fish.

"Ho?" This would be amusing. "Are you wed? Have you birthed a pup?"

She nearly choked on her meal. "No! Of course not, but you haven't either so do not be a hypocrite!" She took a deep breath and pursed her lips. Okay, maybe it was sort of a sore subject for her.

"I see," He said, ignoring her statement. He was tired of all her questions, so he was going to try to end it as soon as possible. "And how old are you?"

She flushed. "T-twenty-three springs…why?"

"How can you state that it is such 'an amazing thing' when you have not experienced it yourself?" When she was about to open her mouth to respond, he continued to speak. "And it is to my knowledge that you are several years past the prime age of human marriage. Also, are you not past the age of when human woman are usually birthing pups? And if you still physically can, who is to say anyone would still want you at your age?"

Her mouth was agape in horror. When the taiyoukai finally decided to speak more than just one sentence, this is what he said? He had just completely shut her down and pierced her heart with such cruel words. She was very aware of how her status was frowned upon in the villages. Perhaps Totosai was on to something by keeping her locked up.

She swallowed a few times before finding the words to respond. "I see now why they call you cold-hearted." She breathed before putting her dried meat away, no longer having an appetite. She then leaned back against the blanket and rolled over, facing away from him.

He didn't miss the quiver in her voice nor the scent of her tears as she fell asleep. At least the first day was over.


	5. Day Two

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the support! In this chapter, there is a minor (VERY minor) character in the series who is OOC. Oh well. It works for this chapter :3**

**As always, a special thanks to Kayelyn for helping me develop this! Seriously, she's a godsend. T^T**

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Five: Day Two

It was quiet.

_Way_ too quiet.

Usually, for Sesshoumaru, it was welcomed, but not in his current situation. The miko walked several yards in front of him with her back hunched, her head tilted down as her eyes watched her steps. They had been walking since day break and the sun was straight above them now. True, it was his objective to silence her tiresome talking and questioning the night before, but he did not expect it to last until the next day.

In all honesty, it was not the fact that she was silent that irked him; it was the constant, wavering emotions that were ever so present in her aura. Humans were such…_expressive_ creatures. They did not have to verbally speak their distress, it radiated off of them like a foul stench. His amber eyes narrowed as self-pity resurfaced in her once again. Were they completely incapable of hiding their emotions?

When resentment flared her aura for the fourth time, his brow twitched in annoyance. "Miko," He spoke and saw her visibly flinch. "Will you not cease your inner babbling?"

She nearly tripped at his words. She corrected herself and then shot him a glare over her shoulder. How did he-? It didn't matter. "No for if I speak out loud, you will probably just insult me again."

He quirked a brow at her. "Most likely."

Kagome bristled at his words and promptly snapped her head back forward, pursing her lips in anger. He was so infuriating! There was no way he was getting a sword made! Someone so pompous and cruel did not deserve one of Toto-ji's great swords. She puffed out her cheeks and released a heavy sigh. At least she found solace in the fact that they were near half-way done with the trip.

When she reopened her sapphire eyes, they blinked as they took in the sight of the wall-encased village at the base of the path. Finally! With a new boost of eagerness, and all emotions forgotten, she hastened her pace to the gate entrance. Instantly, she was met by two samurai guards, their hands going quickly to the hilts of their swords.

"Identify yourself!" One shouted at her.

"Raise your hand away from your sword!" The other snapped.

She did as told and dipped her head at them. "I am Kagome, messenger of Totosai the Sword Smith. I bare Goryoumaru-sama's parcel."

They dropped their hands and looked at each other for deliberation for a moment before looking back at her. "Explain your relationship with the youkai behind you. We cannot let just anyone pass into our village. It is a holy village, youkai are not allowed."

She blinked, momentarily forgetting that Sesshoumaru was behind her. "He is my travel companion."

They instantly put their hands back on their swords. "Lies! Leave now or risk losing your lives!"

The miko huffed and then shrugged. "Fine, then I leave it to you to tell your Lord that you refused to grant me permission to deliver the sword; the one he has been waiting on for two moon cycles." With that she turned on her heel, heading back on her way down the path.

"W-wait!" They called back to her suddenly. When she turned to look at them, they continued. "You may pass, but we will be watching you both. Especially your pet." They growled before waving down below for the people on the other side to open the gate.

"_Pet_?_" _Sesshoumaru scowled as he followed the miko into the village. "This Sesshoumaru is no one's pet."

She merely glanced over her shoulder at him and shrugged, offering him no other explanation as two other guards greeted them to lead them to the castle. She walked silently behind the front guard, ignoring the pointed and curious looks from the villagers. Their whispers of 'treachery to the human race' and 'tarnishing her body by giving it to a youkai' fell upon deaf ears. She could easily block out untruths; in fact she welcomed them compared to what she received when she traveled on her own.

She stopped when the man in front of her did. He turned to her and held out his hand to her. "Before you enter our Lord's castle, you must hand over your weapons." He commanded.

With a sigh, she pulled out her sword from her obi and handed it to him. "The other one, obviously, is Goryoumaru-sama's."

"I will take that as well then. We do not allow risks."

She shrugged. "It is Totosai's policy. I cannot just hand over one of his swords unless to the direct owner."

Hesitantly, he nodded. "And yours as well." He said, gesture to Sesshoumaru's sword. When the youkai remained stoic and unfazed, he glared at him. "Youkai, you will do as told while in my presence! Release your weapon!"

Sesshoumaru turned his honey pools to him. "You would do best to learn your place, Human."

"Why you-!" The guard behind the taiyoukai shouted and moved towards him.

Kagome quickly stood between them. "Kind sir, I must ask you refrain from doing so if you value your own life. I am a miko and I swear upon my reki that he will behave when in the presence of his Lordship." She looked pointedly at Sesshoumaru as if daring him to do otherwise.

He was half tempted to do so, just to punish her for assuming he would listen to what she told him to do. As he stated earlier, he was _not_ a pet.

The two guards hesitated until a voice rung out at the top of the stairs to the castle. "Enough. Allow them to pass. I am eager to have my sword."

"H-hai, Goryoumaru-sama!" They said in unison and stepped aside, allowing the pair access to the stairs to the castle.

Shooting the taiyoukai a look one last time, she followed the Lord to his receiving room. He kneeled down on a mat at the very back of the room; his portion of the room elevated a step up from the rest of it. She removed his sword from her obi and kneeled down a couple feet in front of him while Sesshoumaru remained standing by the entrance.

"I am glad that it is finally done, I have waited a long while for it." He said, black eyes staring into hers.

"We had to wait for material. We had a rush of orders." She lied. Honestly, she and Totosai were debating whether or not to even make it. He had reiterated several times to make sure it was strong enough to kill youkai. Why? That's what they were worried about. Why would a 'holy' human lord want a sword with youki infused with it? Granted, he didn't know about her powers, but still.

"May I have it?" He asked suddenly, making Kagome lift a brow.

_Anxious, hm? _Kagome thought. _I wonder why he needs this so much._

"But of course, Goryoumaru-sama; it was made for you after all." She replied and watched as he rose to his feet, walking over to her. She grasped the sheathed sword and lifted it up for him to take. She narrowed her eyes when he all but snatched it out of her hands.

"Ha! Finally!" He purred, unsheathing the sword and dropping the sheath onto the floor by his feet. "I can feel the power in it!"

"It _is_ a youki sword." She stressed, watching him carefully. She didn't like this man. She had warned Toto-ji as much, but the lord had promised to pay three times more than what they would have normally asked.

"But of course!" He grinned and then swung it around a couple times, piercing the air relentlessly. He stopped suddenly and turned to look at her, as though he were snapping out of a trance. He put his hand into his haori and pulled out a bag full of coins before tossing them to her. "Is your business here finished?"

She caught them and raised a brow at the rudeness. "With your permission, I just need to pick up a few supplies in your village and then we will be on our way." She didn't miss the way his eyes shot towards Sesshoumaru and narrowed when she mentioned 'we'. The two stared at each other, neither blinking. Growing nervous, she spoke up, her voice a pitch louder than necessary. "Is that acceptable, Goryoumaru-sama?"

His eyes flashed her way once more before he turned from them. "Of course. Just make it quick. You will be accompanied by a guard to make sure you stay in line."

She rose to her feet. "Understandable." She replied and gave him a bow before turning and walking to the door.

Sesshoumaru followed the miko from the room, not missing the off look she gave him. So, she had sensed something wrong with this human as well. Did she find it odd that the lord of a holy village so easily wielded a youki weapon? He wondered if she would say something to him about it, but knew it would have to wait since his guard was following behind them.

Kagome accepted her sword from one of the guards and then proceeded to walked down the stairs to the village. She was frustrated that a guard was following them. She wanted to get her thoughts out in the open and see if Sesshoumaru had the same suspicions as her. She remained silent, but on edge as she shopped around the village, buying leather straps for polishing and some more food for her journey back home.

As they neared the gate entrance, she could feel eyes burning into her back and head from behind. They were leaving, so why didn't they just go on about with their lives? She waited until they were out of the village, the gate slamming shut behind them, before sighing heavily. She cast a glance at Sesshoumaru, who was walking closer than before, but held off on saying anything until they reached the hill crest of the path.

"I don't know how I feel about what just happened." She admitted, looking up at the darkening sky.

"Elaborate." He replied, keeping his eyes forward, his aura stretching out and feeling for the guards that he knew were following them. They were still a long way away from them, but there was no question in his mind that they were coming for them.

She pursed her lips together in thought. "I don't understand why the Lord of a holy village would want a youki sword. When he first asked us to create it, he said it was for protection against youkai. I understand the reason, but his reaction was not of someone who was happy to have protection. It seemed more like…I'm not sure how to explain it-"

"As if he were glad to have an offense." He offered, now glancing her way.

"I think we made a mistake in creating the sword for him." She murmured, meeting his gaze.

"It was not the most intelligent decision." He agreed.

She glared at him. "You're really bad at offering solace. A 'no, Kagome, you couldn't have known' or even a simple 'perhaps' would have sufficed."

"I do not lie."

She huffed. "You're impossible to deal with," She looked back up at the dark sky and to the almost hidden sun. "We should make camp while we have a sliver of light left." She headed off to the side of the path and into the forest until she found a small clearing. As soon as she set down her pack, her senses tingled from incoming intruders. She looked at Sesshoumaru and saw him staring off to the same direction she felt the people coming from. It was like what happened yesterday, but it was not a youkai. These were the village guards.

"Prepare yourself, Miko. They are coming." He spoke low as the sound of hooves thrummed against the ground angrily.

She furrowed her brow. "I don't want to fight if I don't have to. Fighting is pointless."

"I do not believe they are going to give you the choice." Yes, the lord himself had come with a guard. He knew that the Lord wished him ill-intent as soon as he looked at him. It seemed he wished to test his new sword.

She sighed and clenched her hands into fists, her sword suddenly feeling heavy at her hip. She braced herself and tried to have an air of confidence as the two entered the clearing. "Goryoumaru, is there an issue?" She asked, dropping the honorific now that they were no longer in his village.

He glowered at her. "Yes, there had been one as soon as you approached my village." He drew his new sword and then pointed it at her. "You, a miko, keep yourself in company with a foul youkai. Reki users should not be in association with youki! You go against everything my village stands for and you will be punished!"

She snorted. "This is coming from someone who requested a _youkai_ to make a _youki_ sword for you. Quite the contradiction, no?"

The male sneered at her. "Do not question me, Wench!" He growled and charged his horse forward at her, his guard following his suit.

As Kagome put her hand on the hilt of her sword, a green flash filled the dark clearing. Almost immediately after, the horses fell, their legs no longer attached to their bodies. She gasped at the sight and looked over at Sesshoumaru. Sure enough, his fingers were lit up with his green youki. She quickly looked back forward when Goryoumaru and his guard got off their limp horses, positioning themselves in offense stances.

"Do you see what that monster is capable of? He just killed two innocent creatures!" The guard snapped at her.

She drew out her sword and set herself into a defensive stance. "Just like you two came to kill two innocent travelers?"

He sneered at her before lunging forward, his sword high over his head. She easily blocked his blow and pushed him back with one of her own. He swung at her again, but again she blocked it. She then rose up her forearm to block the kick he sent her way. The force of it sent her stumbling to the side which he quickly took advantage of, jabbing his blade towards her shoulder. She purposely swayed to the side and winced when she felt the metal cut into her skin. Still, it was better than it being impaled into her muscle.

As the two fought, Sesshoumaru was amusing himself with Goryoumaru. The human just kept swinging his blade at him, but as soon as he began to swing down, the taiyoukai would vanish and appear at his other side. He found his temper and aggravation very amusing. Did this human truly believe he would strike him? He scoffed at the mere idea of it.

"Argh! I've had enough of you and your tricks youkai!" The human lord shouted and gripped his sword harder. It flared with a pale yellow youki, drawing Sesshoumaru's attention to it.

Was that all the power they put into it? It seemed that they did indeed act upon their doubts. "I will give you one last chance to flee, Human."

"I _will_ defeat you." He stated before swinging at him once more.

Again, the taiyoukai easily dodged it and summoned his youki whip. He slashed it across the human's chest, causing him to fall back in pain. The lord fell back to the floor, his sword falling from his hands. He stood over him, his hand glowing with his youki. "Die."

"No!" Kagome called, running over to him and pushing his shoulder in an attempt to push him away. It didn't work; he didn't even budge. Still, she was undeterred. "Don't kill him! No unnecessary killing!"

Sesshoumaru looked at the blood staining the fabric of her sleeve and then over at the guard who was on the floor, holding his bleeding thigh. He narrowed his amber eyes at her. "They chose to come and attack us and yet you defend them?"

"It's not that; it's just that I don't approve of killing. You really shouldn't kill anyone." She murmured and then let out a silent scream when he flicked his wrist, the head of the lord soon lolling around on the ground afterwards. She stared down in horror, her body rigid with shock.

He turned from her. "Do not tell me what I should or should not do, Miko. You hold no control of this Sesshoumaru."

She just continued to stare down at the dead lord, her mouth agape.


	6. Day Three

**A/N: Sorry for the delayed update. I've been busy and stressed; those together=lack of writing motivation. Anyways, here you go!**

**As always, a special thanks to Kayelyn for helping me plot this out. You're amazing, love! Congrats on your nominations and winnings!**

*****I re-posted this chapter because I realized I made a huge mistake in the location of Kagome's wound. I was extremely exhausted when I wrote this and totally blanked -_-. Sorry guys!***  
**

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Six: Day Three

Again, the day started off awkward and uncomfortable. A heavy, thick aura was settled down upon the two travelers as they made their way back to Totosai's home. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since the incident last night.

Kagome was too shocked and mortified to even compose a sentence to speak to him. He had wanted to prove a point to her, and so he did. He also sealed his fate in her decision with his sword. She absolutely would not allow him to possess a powerful sword from Toto-ji; not if he could take a life so easily despite the circumstances. Not all weapons were meant for destruction; this she firmly believed in. So, she tightened her grip on her bag and concentrated on the pain in her arm, willing herself to ignore his presence. The wound from last night had been slightly worse than she had first thought, but it was nothing fatal.

The taiyoukai was struck with the thought that perhaps he had crossed an invisible line with the miko as he could once again sense all of her emotions. He too had his own rambling inner thoughts. He had let his short term goal over power his long term one and, as a result, the later one was more than likely at risk. He clenched the muscles in his jaw. He wanted to prove that he was not some pet who would willingly listen to someone so far beneath his stature, yet he had momentarily forgotten that she ultimately held the decision to the creation of his sword.

But as always, he would not apologize.

He had too much pride to do such a thing.

So, they continued to walk in silence until her stomach began to rumble uncomfortably. She was much too caught up in her thoughts to realize it was already much past high sun. Without taking him into consideration, she made a left and wandered down the grassy hill slope to where she knew a deep stream ran. After making her way through a few bushes and trees, she found it with much relief. She dropped her pack onto the floor and removed her sword from her obi. She made her way over to the rock-like shore of the stream and kneeled down on it before splashing the cool water onto her face.

"Ahh," She breathed, enjoying the refreshing feeling. She smiled, despite the prickling sensation of his aura brushing against hers as he joined her in the small clearing. It was such a beautiful day, she realized as she looked over the running water and plush green trees, and she would not let him ruin it for her.

Kagome stood from her position and used her sleeve to dry her face before walking back over to her bag to dig out her some of the food she had purchased from yesterday. She stopped though when she heard a muffled screaming along with a wave of splashing noises. She turned around sharply and saw a small child being dragged into the water by a kappa youkai. The girl was thrashing violently in the water, her lack of a swimming skill apparent as she was pulled deeper into the depths of the water.

Without further hesitation, the miko took off into the water, treading through the water until it was deep enough to swim. She paddled hard towards the struggling girl, her wounded arm protesting, but didn't make it in time as the kappa sunk the girl deep into the water. She swam over to where they disappeared and took a deep breath before vanishing under the water.

Sesshoumaru watched with bemused fascination. He was still trying to understand why exactly the miko had gone rushing to the water after the girl. Did she know the child? He did not think so; her emotions did not give off that feeling, so why chase after the child in an attempt to save it? Was she mentally ill? Or did she just have a death wish?

Pools of gold slid across the surface of the water, looking for any discrepancies that would announce her arrival, but there was none yet. Had she drowned after all? It would not bode well for him if he returned to Totosai with his assistant dead. Still, surely the sword smith would understand if he explained how she let herself drown for some child she didn't know; that itself spoke of insanity. Perhaps he would get a sword after all.

His eyes narrowed a fraction, his hand going to his sword out of reflex, when a static feeling pushed against his aura. He stared carefully at the water as it lit up with a pink hue, the water becoming choppy on the surface before it disappeared. Not a few seconds later, the miko emerged from the surface, the girl limp in one of her arms.

Swimming on her back, she kicked and swam with one arm towards the shoreline until she could stand. Ignoring her exhaustion, she lifted the little girl into her arms and carried her towards the grass. After setting her down, she frowned when she realized the little girl was not moving. Pushing her own wet hair from her face, she lit up her hand with her reki and placed it over the girl's chest, feeding her the power in hopes of healing her.

But, she knew she couldn't heal someone who had already passed. Still, she tried for minutes until she felt a warning tingle in her chest. She was using too much of her power, especially after purifying the kappa youkai. Defeated and upset, she sat back and closed her eyes tightly, her wet hair clinging to her face once more. She was vaguely aware her arm stinging, but her emotions drowned it out. What was the point of being a miko is she couldn't save but one life? She clenched her hands into fists and slammed them against the grass.

"What ails you, Miko?" He asked, truly curious.

Anger and disgust at him forgotten, she glanced up at him with moist eyes. "I really thought I could save her." She answered quietly.

He raised a brow. "Why would you attempt to do so?"

She furrowed her brow. "Do you really not know why?" At his blank look, she sighed. "Because it is the right thing to do, Sesshoumaru. If someone is in need of assistance, you should help them, especially if their lives are in danger."

"You find it logical to risk your life for another's?" He didn't understand.

"I do," she responded firmly and once again pushed her wet bangs from her forehead. "I would not be able to live with myself knowing I could have saved someone's life, but did nothing."

"That is called surviving." He countered. "To ensure your own wellbeing rather than another's."

She shook her head and breathed, "That is true selfishness."

For some reason, her words irritated him. Was she calling him selfish because he would rather live than help someone? That was _instinct_. To live, not die. Humans would never understand such a concept. Yet, weren't they known as the most selfish creatures? They were greedy with land, money, and crops, and yet they were willing to risk their lives for another? Or was it just this one? Was it because she was a miko? Or was she simply that selfless?

The questions were making his head pound. "Your attempt was futile, though."

She scoffed. "Thank you for bringing that to my attention."

Right as he opened his mouth to reply, Tenseiga pulsed at his hip. Curious, he looked down at it and raised a brow when it pulsed once more. As if propelling him, he pulled it from its sheath and let it guide him towards the child. Did it actually want him to save her? He had to admit, he had never used Tenseiga in the way it was created for; had never found the need to revive someone after killing them.

Kagome watched, mouth agape. She felt the remaining tendrils of reki slither inside the blade and call her. Even with the little amount of reki, she could feel the immense power of its owner. Who was this Midoriko? She wished she could have met her.

The Western Lord's eyes widened but a fraction when he saw the youkai of the underworld trying to take away the girl's soul with chains. Again, Tenseiga pulsed in his hand, urging him to do something. Was he to slay them? Was that what he was supposed to do? Doing as beckoned by his sword, for experimental purposes of course, he swiped his blade through the creatures. He felt a jolt run through his hand and into his chest, but it was gone as quickly as it came. The cratures disappeared and Tenseiga once again returned to its dormant state.

She furrowed her brows as the power diminished, no longer present in the air. She quickly pushed it aside when the girl convulsed, her body jerking before she began to cough up water. She quickly helped her sit up and patted her back, helping the child rid her lungs of the water. She was awe-struck. She couldn't believe it! The child was alive! Was that the power of the blade? Of the potential her power could be at?

The girl took a deep breath after her coughing fit. She looked at the woman helping her and blinked. "W-who are you?"

She gave her warm smile. "I am Kagome, my…companion and I saved you." She said.

The girl rubbed her head in confusion before turning to look at the youkai. She gasped, but felt a warmth spread through her chest at the same time. He was a youkai! She should be terrified, and she was, and yet she felt something similar to admiration swell in her. "H-he's a youkai!" She decided to declare, more saying it to herself than to the two around her.

"Indeed." He replied and sheathed Tenseiga before turning to walk towards one of the shady areas under a tree.

Kagome rolled her eyes at his antics and then looked back at the girl. "Don't mind him, he's not very social, but he is the reason you are still among the living." She said and then stood from her to walk over to her bag. She winced when she bent down to grab it and looked down at her arm to see blood staining her already wet sleeve. Again, she ignored it and then sat down next to the girl once more. She handed her a slab of dried meat and took out one for herself. "So, what is your name?"

She girl took a big bite, chewed, and swallowed before answering. "Rin is Rin!" She chimed before taking another bite.

"Well, it is nice to meet you, Rin. Where do you come from? We can accompany you back, if you'd like." She offered, knowing all too well how scary it could be to travel alone at such a young age.

Rin bristled at the mentioning of her return home. "D-do not worry. Rin knows how to get back to the village."

The miko raised a brow at her sudden frightened demeanor. "Is there something wrong?"

The girl shook her head vigorously, water droplets flying around her. "N-no! Rin is fine!" She squeaked and continued to stuff her face with the dried meat.

Sesshoumaru stared at them from his spot against the tree. "Lying is an unbecoming habit. Speak true." He stated.

She felt her back go rigid, but another burst of warmth enveloped her at the same time. His words were like a command she couldn't disobey. "Rin is an orphan. Her parents were killed by thieves when she was younger. The villagers…are not nice to Rin."

She frowned, her own painful memories stabbing behind her eyelids. "Is there no other family you have?"

She shook her head once more. "No; Rin has no more family."

The miko sighed heavily. What was she to do? There was no way Totosai would let her stay with them and she doubted Sesshoumaru would take on a human pet. "Well, you are welcome to travel with us until we reach our destination, but I'm afraid I don't know what you will do after that."

Rin smiled widely at her. "Really? Rin can?"

She nodded. "Of course. I can't just let you just walk around by yourself."

The girl lurched at the woman and hugged her tightly. "Arigato, Kagome-neesan!"

She blinked at the honorific, but found no offense in the intimate gesture. After all, she was just a child. She hugged her back and then glanced over her head to peer over at Sesshoumaru. She couldn't help but smile at him. He had saved this girl's life. Perhaps he wasn't so bad after all.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Sesshoumaru remained in his spot under the tree even after night had fallen. The miko had offered one of her blankets to Rin, allowing the girl to sleep comfortably by the fire. The girl. He looked down at his palm and remembered all too clearly how his claws had dug into the flesh there at the mention of the girl being hurt.

How preposterous.

He did not know the child, nor did he have any tie to her emotionally. As far as he was concerned, she was just another hindrance to him and his ultimate goal. He would put up with her presence during the remainder of the trip, but that was all. So, then why did his beast growl at him to kill those who have harmed her? It was almost as if his beast was treating her as…_pack_. He did not understand, and he did not like it.

The smell of blood intensified and he let his gaze slide over to where the miko sat, peeling off her outer haori. "Your wound needs tending to."

She glanced up at him, startled. She thought he was asleep. "Yes, I know. I was just about to. So, look away so I can!"

He narrowed his eyes at her. As if he would dare gaze upon a human's body, the thought made his gut wretch. Still, he acknowledged her and turned his head to the side. He heard her rustle around and spared a glance back over to see she too had turned completely away from him, her back now to him. Foolish mortal, did she not know to never give her enemy an opening?

Perhaps she did not think of him as an enemy.

He did not like that.

By the time he pulled himself out of his thoughts, he realized he was staring at a portion of bare flesh on her back, the wounded arm free of clothing. Unable to resist, he let his eyes roam down the exposed area. They moved back up to the curve of her neck and to her slender shoulder. When she moved to wrap a cloth around her arm, he immediately swiveled his head back to gaze away from her.

Perhaps the human body was not as grotesque as he let on to believe.

Not that he would admit it.

**A/N: UH oh, what's going on with Rin and Sesshoumaru? Hmm, a side effect from saving her maybe ;)?**


	7. Day Four

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! **

**As always, a special thanks to Kayelyn for helping me plot this out. You're amazing, love! **

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Seven: Day Four

Sesshoumaru could absolutely not wait until they reached Totosai's home and be done with these female humans. Ever since they had woken up, they had talked non-stop. Their girly banter about trivial things was one thing, but their random squeals of delight were something else. The noise was deafening, almost making his ears ring and bleed from there mere pitch.

"Ne, ne, Kagome-neesan, I like your bracelet! Where did you get it?" Rin complimented, her eyes falling on the metal jewelry around the older girl's wrist. It was a series of interlocking circles and loops of gleaming metal.

The taiyoukai raised his eyes to look at what she was referring to. Admittedly, he had not noticed the thing, but why would he? It was something irrelevant to him.

Kagome raised her wrist to eye-level and smiled at the trinket. "Toto-ji made it for me when I first came into his company. I have never taken it off, but then again, I can't," She mused as she studied the bracelet. "There is no latch on it; it was made it stay on." She could never understand why he did such a thing, but she assumed he had a blank moment and forgot to make a latch.

"Ohh! It is very pretty! Rin likes it a lot." She grinned as they walked.

"Arigato, Rin-chan." She replied with another smile.

As she went to take another step, she stopped short as she felt a wave of youki wash over her. She furrowed her brow when she realized it was somewhat familiar, but from where? The hair on the back of her neck bristled when it intensified as she turned to look at Sesshoumaru. She quickly put her hand to her hilt as a youkai appeared before her in a gust of wind. She quickly pushed Rin behind her and narrowed her eyes before she realized he was focused her travel companion.

"Kouga." Sesshoumaru stated nonchalantly.

"Sesshoumaru," He nodded before crossing his arms over his chest. "We've got an issue."

"Report." He commanded.

"He's struck again," He began, his tail swishing to the side in anger. "It was the human village within your boundaries."

The taiyoukai raised a brow. "The human village? What business would he have there?" Every ruling land had at least one or two human villages in them who were under their lord's protection. It was not that Sesshoumaru wanted it there, but it was already there from his father's ruling and he would not undo what his father did. Besides, it mostly consisted of hanyou, humans, and had a single, weak miko within it. What harm could they bring?

The wolf youkai shook his head. "Who knows? But, they were unrelenting. They killed everyone: men, women, and children; no one was left," He gave a sigh. "Even the miko was torn to pieces."

He clenched his jaw. He was not fond of the village, but that did not mean it did not bother him. Naraku was so pathetic, aiming for a village that had practically not defenses. Did he have no shame? "What was the death toll? Did any escape?"

"A totally for thirty-four dead, only one small child managed to escape by hiding under his dead parents." Kouga's cobalt blue eyes met amber. "What should we do? I have a human village in my own lands. Is he targeting those now?"

"Why?"

The two youkai looked at the miko as if she had suddenly appeared. Kouga glanced at the Western lord, "Who's this human?" He asked, jerking his thumb in her direction.

"My name is Kagome," She stated, cutting off Sesshoumaru before he could speak. She balled her hands into fists. "Why is the Southern lord doing this?"

Kouga snorted. "Keh, women should keep their noses out of political affairs and worry about pleasing their mates."

The miko glared at the youkai. "Listen here, _Kouga_," She said, remembering the name Sesshoumaru spoke. "I care not for your prejudice views of women. I only care of what happens to innocent people during this war. People, especially children, not involved in the war should not be slaughtered for any reason!"

"Calm yourself, Miko," The taiyoukai spoke up. "We do not condone the actions of the South. However, we cannot control them either. This is war; and apparently anything is fair game."

Kagome took four steps forward so that when she stopped, she was looking up at him. She blinked back unshed tears as her own painful memories stabbed behind her eyes once more. "You have to stop him, Sesshoumaru. Don't let any more innocent people die."

He was slightly taken back by her reaction and her bold movement towards him. No one had approached him so familiarly before. "You need not tell This Sesshoumaru." He glanced down at her eyes before side stepping around her and walking on forward. He then glanced at Kouga. "Go and ready your pack to protect your human village."

Kouga nodded in agreement before turning and speeding away, kicking up the dust and gravel as he did. He would not let Naraku attack a tribe or village in his territory. He would protect all residents within his borders.

*~~~SSS~~~*

"Toto-ji!" Kagome called as she entered the mouth of the skeleton that provided the entrance to their cave.

Swallowing a gulp of flame, he turned to look at the traveling companions and noted that they had gained another. "Welcome home. Who do we have here?"

She dropped her pack on the floor and stretched out her arms before smiling at the sword smith. "This is Rin. Sesshoumaru saved her!"

"Konbanwa…" Rin murmured nervously before she bowed to the youkai.

Totosai blinked his bug eyes and then tilted his head to the side. "Saved? Saved how?" He questioned, narrowing his eyes slightly as he read her aura. He could definitely see that she had touched death once already. Did he save her with-

"With Tenseiga. He brought her back to life after she had drowned." She replied "I didn't know how powerful that sword was until I saw it with my own eyes."

Sesshoumaru scoffed. "It is worthless."

She furrowed her brows at him. "How can you say that? You have the power to bring back those who have fallen! You alone have a gift to rival that of the Kami!"

"It is not the power I wish to possess." He countered, moving his head to the side as he crossed his hands into either sleeve.

She clicked her tongue. "Right, you want to be able to take life away." She pursed her lips together in thought as she realized she had to make a decision soon.

"That is the point of war," He replied, sarcasm sharp in his tone. "Or do you expect me to defend my villages empty handed?"

She didn't reply, but did take in what he said. Wasn't she the one who had asked him to defeat Naraku to stop him from tormenting the villages and killing their occupants?

Totosai watched the interaction before blinking once more. "Sesshoumaru, are you aware of the consequences of reviving someone?" He asked, bringing them back to their past topic.

He lifted a brow. "I was unaware there were any."

"Oh, your father is cruel indeed. Perhaps he assumed you would never actually have the change of heart to bring someone back." He nodded firmly, as if reassuring himself that was indeed the reason. "Hai, hai, that must be the reason…"

"Speak, Totosai, you drive my patience." Sesshoumaru snapped, golden pools narrowing.

"Ehh?" With a growl from the taiyoukai, he 'suddenly' remembered. "Oh, hai. Let me ask you this? You feel any odd pull towards the girl? Random feelings that you wouldn't normally condone?"

Kagome gasped and pointed at Sesshoumaru. "Hentai! She's but a child!"

He growled at her, the hair on the back of his neck rising in disgust at the mere idea that she was hinting at. "Miko, do not make me remove that tongue from your mouth."

Rin suddenly raised her hand up, lips pursed tight. "A-ano…"

The three looked at her curiously.

"Hai, Rin-chan?" Kagome asked.

"Rin feels something for Sesshoumaru-sama," She said softly, looking down at her feet. "Rin knows she should be scared of youkai, but when she looks at Sesshoumaru-sama, it makes her feel funny. Also, when Rin is told to do something, she can't say no."

Sesshoumaru's face remained impassive as he looked at Totosai when he laughed. "What, may I inquire, is so funny?"

The old youkai grinned and patted the girl's head. "Say hello to your new pack member."

"I do not appreciate jesting, Totosai; speak true."

"Oh, but I am, Sesshoumaru-sama," He began, meeting the youkai's eyes. "When you bring someone back from the dead, it uses the energy in the blade plus a bit of your own youki to make it work. Thus, as soon as you bring them back, you create a bond link with them and they become a part of your pack."

His lips curled up slightly. "I will not have a human, much less a child, as my pack! That is ridiculous!"

The sword smith shrugged. "It is how it is."

"I will not have this bond; keep her for yourself." He said and turned away, soon walking towards the exit of the entry way of the cave.

"You will soon see, Sesshoumaru-sama, that you cannot just abandon this child. The pack leader within you will not allow you to and your beast will not accept it either." He commented and watched the male disappear through the door.

Rin suddenly gripped her chest, her eyes becoming wide as a pulling, ripping feeling tore through her. She let out a cry and fell to her knees. "I-itai!" She cried, her little chest heaving heavily as she began to have a shortness of breath.

Kagome dropped down next to her, wrapping her arms around the girl's small frame. "Rin-chan? Rin-chan! What's wrong?"

"The bond is too new. It is pulling her apart from the inside to be too far from him." He replied, shaking his head.

"What?!" The miko shouted and held the girl tighter to her.

The sword smith shook his head. "It seems he is just as cold as ever."

"Bite your tongue, Old Man." The taiyoukai growled as he came back into the room. He did not want to come back, but as soon as he stepped outside, he had felt the most annoying, persistent tightening in his chest that grew more uncomfortable the more he walked.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin chimed from her spot on the floor. She suddenly felt much better, the pain in her chest dispersing quickly.

Kagome looked up at Sesshoumaru and gave him a bright smile as relief swarmed through her. He had come back! Despite the reasons, that was all that mattered. "Sesshoumaru," she began, drawing his attention to her. "I have decided that you have passed. We will create your sword for you. But, I do need one of your fangs."

A look of irritation scowled his face before he nodded. He pulled on his own fang and removed it without flinching before handing it over to the miko. He would not let a small amount of pain overcome the immense feeling of accomplishment spreading through him. "When shall I expect it?"

"You could at least say thank you," She commented before she brushed off his rudeness, "You will have it when we finish it. I won't give you a specific day because I don't know how long it will take to make it the way I want it to be."

Again, he dipped his head. "I will await the day then," He began and turned from them, beginning to make his way towards the door until he came to a stop. "Rin."

The girl perked up. "H-hai? Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He cast her a look over his shoulder before looking straight once more. "Come."

"Hai!" She leapt to her feet and began to walk over to him. As if suddenly remembering something, she turned and bowed low to the other girl. "Arigato, Kagome-neesan!"

The miko smiled and nodded. "Of course, Rin-chan! I will see you soon."

"Hai! Sayonara!" She cheered before turning around once more and following the taiyoukai out of the cave.

Kagome turned to her grandfather-like figure. "Ready to get to work?"

He blinked as he was drawn from his thoughts and nodded. "Hai, hai. But, I have to ask you something before we begin."

"Hmm?" She asked, untying her hair only to re-tie it into a high bun instead. "Is something wrong, Toto-ji?"

He let his eyes roam over her body, looking for the wound he knew was there. "You are hurt. Where?"

She furrowed her brow at the intensity of his question. "My shoulder…why?" She asked and blinked when she saw a wave of relief overcome his features.

"No reason, just wondering!" He said cheerfully before grabbing his tools.

She watched him with a careful blue gaze. What was that all about?


	8. Memories

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Things will start to get more entertaining in a little!**

**As always, a special thanks to Kayelyn for helping me plot this out. You're amazing, love! **

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Eight: Memories

_A small child felt her heart quicken as she watched the bandit turn over her family's hut and search through their belongings. She waited until their back was to her before she bolted outside of her hut. She wailed in dismay when she saw her village in flames, huts crumbling and turning into ash from their now weak foundation. She felt her eyes widen when she noticed bodies lying in gleaming pools of black on the dirt path that ran through her village. Who would do such a thing?_

_"Kagome-chan!" _

_She turned to see her mother running towards her. "Okaa-san!" She shouted and lunged towards her. She quickly skidded to a halt though when she saw a bandit grab her mother by her hair and jerk her back. "Okaa-san!" She wailed as she watched the man's blade tear through the soft flesh of her mother's neck. _

_She tensed when she saw the man turn towards her before running his tongue over the blade, lapping up her mother's blood. Without another moment's hesitation, she turned and ran as fast as she could into the surrounding forest, terror racing in her veins. She willed herself not to look back, to just keep running, even after she heard the heavy thuds of the following bandits. _

_"Come on, Little Onna, we just want to play!" They lied, their false promise ringing in the silent darkness of the woods._

_She tried to ignore them and kept her little legs moving. She had no idea where she was going, she had long passed the boundary line of their village, but she wouldn't let that stop her. She wouldn't stop until she was away from them; or until they caught her…_

_She felt the force slam against her back and she barely had time to put her arms out in front of her before she crashed to the ground with a wail. She quickly turned around onto her back and crossed her arms in front of her face as they began to kick at her sides. She cried out with each kick, begging the Kami to make it stop, to spare her. The image of her mother being slain in front of her flashed before her eyes and she couldn't help but assume her brother and father had shared the same cruel fate. _

_A new flare of anger and remorse filled her and she felt something inside her warm and fill her veins with a liquid courage. She closed her eyes tightly and curled in closer to herself as the kicks intensified. As the warmth continued to fill and flood her, she felt her anxiety double, her little chest heaving heavily. After another kick, she clawed into her own skin and let out a piercing scream. _

_She didn't know what had happened, simply that something definitely had. The warmth felt as if it had expanded inside her before seeping out of her pores and blinding the area around her. She heard a few thuds, but was too nervous to open her eyes to see what was happening, despite her instincts telling her that it had somehow gotten better. It was only confirmed when the kicking had yet to continue, their voices silenced. _

_After her heart rated slowed and her courage filled back up, she peeked open her eyes and blinked when she saw the bandits lying on the floor, seemingly unconscious. She furrowed her brow and wasted no time in standing up and backing away from the bodies. She bit down on her lip, nervousness and confusion filling her as she looked at the bodies. They had burn marks staining their skin, puss glistening over them. _

_Kagome heard a rustle in the bushes next to her and jumped into a defensive stance, even if it were only for show. Her adrenaline, which had been simmering in her veins from the chase, kicked back into high gear and she once again felt the warmth begin to fill her. She paused slightly when she saw an elderly man step out of the bushes, a long mallet slung over his shoulder._

_"Y-youkai!" She shouted and pointed an accusing finger at him. Something within her was telling her not to be too scared, but she wanted to run away and yet she couldn't get her legs to move. _

_He looked over at her, his beady eyes blinking as they fell upon her. "Ehh?" He asked before giving her a quick look over. "So all that came out of you?"_

_"T-that?" She questioned, frowning as she held her shaking hands up in front of her. _

_He pursed his lips together and put a claw to his chin. "Hooo. It seems you do not know your own power."_

_"Power?" She echoed once more. What was this youkai going on about?_

_"Yes," He answered, his eyes raking over her body once more, apparently looking for something. "Although, perhaps the power is not yours alone."_

_He had breathed the last sentence. It was so faint; she thought she had been mistaken by it. Still, she chose to ignore it and backed up a few more steps. "What do you want from me?" She asked hesitantly, fearing the answer._

_"Want from you?" Now it was his turn to echo her words. He pursed his lips together once more as he thought. "What is your name, child?"_

_She hesitated. She had heard stories of youkai who took ahold of a human's soul simply by learning their names. Was this one of them? She had a feeling that he wasn't, still she was wary. "Kagome…"_

_"Kagome," He repeated and then glanced behind them, the smell of burnt bodies and death filling his nose. "Were you from the village that was attacked?"_

_Her breath hitched. "H-hai…"_

_"Did you family fall to their hands?"_

_Her bottom lip trembled. "Hai…they did." Flashes of her dead mother flashed before her eyes once more. _

_He remained quiet for a moment, his claws back on his chin. "Well, Little Kagome, I am Totosai."_

_"Totosai?" She asked, looking at him as he held his hand out to her. _

_"Hai, but you can call me Toto-ji," He nodded before giving her a grin. "Come with me."_

Kagome gasped as she sat up quickly, the memory rousing her from her sleep. She took a minute to calm her heart and ran her hand into her hair. She flopped back down onto her cot and stared up at the ceiling as she thought over the memory. She didn't know at the time what had propelled her to put her hand in his, but something deep within her told her it was okay.

She let a small smile curl up her lips. She was glad she had accepted. She couldn't imagine her life any other way and wouldn't have changed it. Yes, she had lost her family on that tragic day, but had gained a new one. Totosai had changed her life completely and she believed it was for the better. She felt she actually had _purpose_ in life, a meaning far greater than just picking herbs for the village.

A new surge of confidence radiating off of her, she sat back up and folded the thick blanket away from her. She stood up and headed towards the fabrication part of their home, freshly inspired to create Sesshoumaru's sword.

*~~~SSS~~~*

The taiyoukai's brow twitched as he heard the screaming of his newly acquired ward as she ran outside the hallway of his office. The sound of her bare feet slapping against the wooden floors almost drowned out his half-brother's shouts for her to stop. He gripped his ink brush tighter in his hand as a rustling noise soon followed a crashing sound of broken glass. He glanced up with irritated eyes as Inuyasha slammed open his office, their new pack mate hanging down from his hand by her obi.

"You need to take care of your new pet! She's messin' everything up!" The hanyou snapped, shaking the girl out in front of him to make sure he got a good look.

"I do believe I told you to watch after her." He stated, looking back down at his scrolls to read their content.

"Keh! I don't wanna do it anymore! She's annoying!" He stalked forward a few steps and sat the girl down onto the cushion in front of his brother's short table. "She's your problem, not mine!"

The muscles in Sesshoumaru's jaw clenched. "She is _our_ new pack mate, Half-breed, so she is _our_ problem." He hissed.

"Ano…Sesshoumaru-sama…" Rin interrupted before Inuyasha could reply. She put her elbows on the short table, resting her chin in her palms. "Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin is bored. Will you play with Rin?"

He reached over and used the butt of his brush to push her elbows off the table. "Ladies do not put their elbows on the table," He began and then looked back down at his scroll. "I am busy, Rin; go find Jaken."

"But Sesshoumaru-samaaa, Jaken-sama is mean and has already told Rin he will not play with her." She whined and folded her hands into her lap. She looked at her lord and pushed out her bottom lip, widening her eyes a bit.

Sesshoumaru glanced up when he felt her eyes on him and immediately averted his eyes. This little, ningen, onna somehow had a spell that made him feel guilty when she gave him that look. Surely it had to be witchcraft of some sort? Maybe there was even a youkai somewhere very far down in her lineage. Either way, he could not be deterred now; he had to finish his paperwork before Naraku struck again. "Inform him that I have demanded he play with you."

She pursed her lips together once more and stared at him before letting out a heavy sigh. "When is Kagome-neesan going to come?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Do you ever get tired of asking, Runt?" He crossed his arms over his chest before looking back over at his half-brother. "When _are_ you going to get your sword? You can't keep using your whip and you keep breaking every sword you get."

Frustrated at the distraction from his work, he released a growl. "I do not know, Inuyasha. If I did, then I would tell you, but I do not. Now," He narrowed his eyes. "Leave me. Take her with you."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" He lifted Rin by the back of her yukata once more and carried her from the room.

He heard his door tap shut and raised his head once more. He glanced out of the window and let out a shallow breath. When _was_ he going to get his sword? It had already been a week since he had departed from Totosai's home and he had not heard a word from her. He was tempted to go and check on it, but thought better of it. There was no point in hassling her when she had said that she did not know when she would have it done.

He turned back to his study doors when the scent of his ally approached it. He stood from his cushion and called for him to enter. He could only hope that he would bring him good news instead of unfortunate reports.

"Sesshoumaru," Kouga began, nodding to him. "My tribe has reported to me that they have witnessed the South rallying up their troops. He's going to strike soon."

His lids fluttered shut. He should have known it wasn't going to be pleasant. "I will make sure my troops are ready. Is your tribe prepared to go to war?"

The wolf youkai nodded. "Hai, they have been training since first word of Naraku's antics reached the East."

"Good. When do you expect him to move?" He asked.

Kouga shrugged before crossing his arms over his chest. "I would give it two days at the latest."

Sesshoumaru pondered it. Two days was not very long, but he had faith that his troops were going to be well prepared. "I see. We shall wait for them to move and then meet them in the meeting point of our kingdoms."

The Eastern Lord nodded. "That's what I was thinking. It will be for the best."

"Agreed," He said. "We will see each other then." He watched Kouga nod before speeding off, heading back towards his lands.

"So it has begun," A feminine voice came from behind him.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and nodded once. "Indeed, Asano-hime." This female was the daughter of the Lord of the North. His father had arranged a treaty with the Lord and their children were the bargaining factor that sealed the deal. Now, he was to be mated to the human hime to secure another generation with the treaty.

She moved forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, trying to ignore how he stiffened under her touch. "Honestly, Sesshoumaru-sama, I wish you would call me by my name. Do you loathe me that much?"

He internally sighed. There again rose the conversation. She had a habit of bringing it up and pestering him until she heard what she wanted to. "I do not loathe you, _Sara_-hime." He replied. It was true that he did not loathe _her_, per say, but he loathed the idea of mating a human like his father had.

She tightened her hold on him. "Then why do I feel you are always so cold to me? Always push me away and shy away from my advances?" She wanted nothing more than to marry, _mate_, her demon lord, but he would not touch her in any intimate way. She had fallen in love with him when she first saw him at the Northern Palace and was delighted when she found out they were to be married. But, his distance towards her was heart breaking.

He felt her tighten her hold, but could not simply shove her away and attack her do to the fragile state of the treaty, as well as the promise that was made when he was younger. "I am busy with the impending war." He replied and stepped away and out of her embrace. He turned to face her and looked down in her grey colored eyes. "I do not intentionally push you away." Though he wished he could.

She blinked before smiling warmly up at him. She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand, her thumb brushing against the stripes on his cheek. "I am sorry to hassle you, Koi. Sometimes I forget the events around me when it comes to you." She leaned towards him and reached up on her toes to press her lips to his.

He stiffened once more, his jaw clenching for a moment before he returned the kiss. His hands went to her shoulders as she deepened the kiss; he had to still his hands from pushing her away. Her forwardness was unattractive to him, though if she were a youkai, perhaps it would be different. He let his mind wonder to how it would be to have an actual youkai mate instead of the forward ningen in front of him.

**A/N: Asano Sara is the 'Woman Who Fell in Love with Sesshoumaru' in the Anime :)**


	9. To Prep for Battle

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I'm glad some people liked the little twist I added to the story by throwing Sara in there. I'm trying really hard not to create OCs (I'm doing really good so far :D) and trust me, I was SUPER tempted to throw Taku (my OC from _The Battle of Heart and Land_) into this story, but had to refrain. **

**As always, a special thanks to Kayelyn for helping me plot this out. You're amazing, love! **

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Nine: To Prep for Battle

"Itai! Toto-ji! You pushed it in too deep!" Kagome wailed, eyes brimming with tears at the sharp pain. She couldn't believe she had agreed to let him do this to her.

"Ah, gomen, Kagome-chan, I was trying to be gentle…" He replied, withdrawing the device from her and walking over to the wash bin.

She frowned. "You're too old to be doing things like this."

"I am not! You only get better with age, I assure you. You will see soon enough." He grinned.

She snorted at his comment. "I doubt it. You missed completely the first time! How is that better?"

He pursed his lips together. "Well, perhaps if you had not moved..."

She blinked at him before pointing an accusing finger at him. "I was perfectly still! You just cannot aim correctly, Toto-ji! Don't blame me!"

"Mere technicalities," He commented and washed the small dagger off in the wash bin, cleansing it of her blood. "Now, let it drip into the bowl."

She sighed and held her hand over the wooden bowl, letting the blood droplets fall into the concoction she had whipped up for Sesshoumaru's sword. Once she felt it had enough, she stuck the tip of her middle finger into her mouth, cleaning the blood off of it from the new wound. When she retrieved it from her mouth, she frowned when it beaded with blood once more.

"You definitely went too deep." She murmured and tore a piece of cloth from her shirt to wrap it around her finger.

"You are fine," He said and walked back over to the rock table. Next to the bowl sat Sesshoumaru's fang. Grabbing his handy mallet, he began to smash the fang into little pieces before grinding it into a fine powder. He then scooped the power into his hands and let it sprinkle into the mixture. Using a wooden spoon, he stirred the contents before picking up the bowl and walking over to the steaming pot of molten metal.

"Now, Kagome-chan, this is your project. I will only mix the metal and mixture with my youki, and then it is up to you to do the rest." He commented as he stirred the contents of the bowl in with the metal, a stream of his yellow youki spilling into it as well.

She smiled as she watched her own crafty concoction come to life in an angry hue of red and yellow. "Hai!"

*~~~SSS~~~*

"Sesshoumaru-sama, do not go!" Sara pleaded, wrapping her yukata tightly around herself. She watched him with helpless eyes as he slid on his chest armor and began to secure it in place.

His brow twitched irritatingly. This is what he received for trying to be the 'nice' alpha towards his unwanted Intended. He had Jaken summon her to his room in order to inform her that he was leaving for battle. He was only half-surprised when she came rushing into his room, yukata half parted open and a joyous smile on her lips. He did, however, find pleasure in the way her smile slipped off her face, leaving her painted lips drooping down, when he had finally told her the reason for his summoning of her person.

"I do not know what you want me to tell you, Sara-hime. I must fight to protect the West." He replied and sighed when she came closer to him and wrapped her arms around his torso, her large breasts pressing firmly, and most uncomfortably, into his back.

"Please, my Koi, stay here with me," She purred, closing her eyes tightly as she inhaled his pine scent. "Stay in the safety of the Western walls. Leave the Ookami to fight the South!"

"I will not let the wolves fight alone for the sake of both of our lands." He countered, amber eyes threatening to roll as she gripped him harder.

"Your men will be there too so our victory is guaranteed! Your presence is not needed!" She was desperate to have him stay with her. The battle front didn't need him! They were powerful enough, she was sure!

Despite his iron-clad self-control, he bared his fangs and released a warning growl. "Do not belittle me in such a way, Asano-hime. I am the Western Lord! I will not leave my soldiers to fight a ruthless enemy by themselves. Only a weak, cowardly man would leave his subjects and hide in the solitude of his fortress," He released a deeper growl. "Do not insult me."

Immediately, she backed away, tilting her head back and baring her neck in submission. "G-gomen, Sesshoumaru-sama…"

Ugh, it deeply annoyed him how she so easily submitted to him. Did she not have a single firm bone in her back? If she believed she was truly correct, then she should stand tall and declare it so; stand behind it and fight for it.

_Humans, _he thought with narrowed his eyes and slipped on his chest armor. _Such weak creatures. No strength to stand up for what they believe in. _

But, that miko was not as such.

Sesshoumaru stilled his hands and furrowed his brow. Where had that thought come from? He had not thought of that miko for two days, and that was only because he was thinking about his sword. Narrowing his eyes once more, he finished tying his obi around his armor to hold it in place. Still, he could not deny that the thought was not true. He was drawn from his thoughts when she grasped his forearm, using her nimble fingers to tie the armor into place.

"Really, I _am_ sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama," She breathed, tying the straps firmly in place. "I do not know what I was thinking. Just…," She drew her hands to her chest and cast her grey gaze to the side. "The thought of losing you makes my heart hurt."

He let his eyes flutter shut, his head beginning to hurt from her constant babble. He pulled away from her, more roughly than he anticipated, and headed for his door. "I must be going."

She frowned, but nodded nonetheless. "May your sword be swift and may the Kami watch you in their gracious sight," She said as he left and then whispered to herself. "Good luck, Sesshoumaru-sama. Come back to me safely."

"Oi! Sesshoumaru! You ready yet?" Inuyasha snapped, grabbing his hair and tying it up into a messy ponytail. "We've been waiting for your orders. What took you so long?"

"I am here; worry not about my affairs." He replied, narrowing his eyes at the hanyou.

"Heh, an affair eh? Does Sara know about that?" He grinned, knowing it would push he brother's buttons.

Sesshoumaru ignored his brother and headed into the courtyard where his inuyoukai subordinates waited for him. He grabbed a sword and only hoped it would last long enough to get through the first battle. That's all he needed. Hopefully, his sword would be done soon enough.

He stood in front of his troops and turned to Inuyasha once more. "Prepare for departure."

Inuyasha threw his fist in the air and shouted to his fellow inuyoukai. "To the Boundary Point!" He shouted and grinned as they shouted back their war cries.

*~~~SSS~~~*

"Man the front!" Kouga snapped out at his comrades as they filed into the Boundary Point, ready to counter Naraku and the Southern army as they came. He stood atop of a boulder, trying to survey the land for any disturbances that would indicate the enemy's advance.

"Hai! We have it covered, Kouga-sama!" Hakkaku said, giving his pack master a thumbs up.

"Just leave it to us!" Ginta replied with a grin. "We've prepared our tribe perfectly! There's no way we will lose this war!"

"Especially with the inuyoukai Western Lands on our side!" The other wolf added.

"Be that as it may, we really don't plan to rely much on them. After all, we are the Eastern Land and the most powerful wolf tribe!" He smirked, putting his hands on his haps.

"Enough!" Kouga snapped, focusing his cobalt eyes on the South. "There will be no prejudices at this time; we can't afford to let our cockiness get in the way of our goal. Gloat as much as you want after, but not now."

Hakkaku and Ginta's tails fell limp from their scolding, their eyes casting down in shame. "Gomen…"

"Outta my way!" A red-headed demoness snapped and pushed through Ginta and Hakkaku. She then beamed up at the pack master with a wide smile. "So noble for you to say, Kouga-sama!"

With a growl, he leaped off of his perch on the boulder and landed into front of the white ookami. "Ayame-hime, _what_ are you doing here?"

She crossed her arms over the armor on her chest and turned her nose up at him. "A war in the East includes the Shiro Tribe of the Northern part of the Eastern Lands."

He clenched his hands. "I did not want to involve the Shiro Tribe. If I were to perish with my tribe, the Shiro Tribe would take over the throne in my place."

She stomped her foot and swished her tail angrily. "And what good would that do? To have you dead?" She covered her hand over the armor where her heart was located. She shook her head, her red pigtails flying around her. "Do you not see the foolishness of not including us? They will only continue to come after us if you are defeated; it is smarter to combine forces now!"

He set his jaw tight and narrowed his eyes before glancing off to the side. He knew she was right, but he was still stubborn about the issue. If they were to be defeated, who would take the Eastern throne? He did not want Naraku to get his hands on his precious lands; he could only shudder at the mere idea of it.

"Kouga-sama?"

He opened his eyes and glanced down at her. He met her emerald green orbs and let out a soft sigh. "You are right, Ayame-hime, but it is too late. Naraku is going to strike today. We do not have enough time to gather your troops."

"Hmph!" She said with a sly smirk and tossed one of her ponytails over her shoulder. "I knew I would convince you, so I already came prepared." She tilted her head back and released a loud, long howl.

The hair on Kouga's tail bristled at the power behind her summons call. The authority and promise of potential Alpha ran strongly within it. "Ayame-"

She cut him off as she called to her white wolves as they entered the Boundary Point. Some shifted back into their humanoid forms while others remained in their true form. "Alright guys, this is what we have been training for! We will work alongside Kouga-sama and his tribe. It is our duty as the Shinto Ookami Tribe to protect the East and fight with our brethren!"

They howled as a chorus before they took their place alongside the brown ookami around them. Ayame watched them go before turning back to the wolf prince she admired so greatly. "Do not worry, Kouga-sama. We _will_ triumph."

He blinked at her vehemence, but then let a small smile tilt up his lips. "Hai, Ayame-hime, I think we will."

*~~~SSS~~~*

"Kagome-chan, how is it coming?"

The miko let her stream of fire continue from her mouth for two heartbeats longer before extinguishing it. "Fine!" She huffed as she slammed her hammer down on the scorching red metal. "Just…shaping it…" She panted with each hit.

Totosai ventured over to her, moving closer to examine her work. He watched as she flipped it over and released a flare of flames onto the blade before striking it. He studied each of her movements and the amount of time she left the flame on the metal. As he expected, she was perfect in her fabrication, almost as good as him.

"It is coming along quite well, Kagome-chan," He commented and then jumped back sharply when a jolt of her pink reki flared around her. He put a hand to his chest, his palm resting on his rapidly beating heart. Had that really just come from her? When had her powers developed so much? "K-Kagome-chan?"

"Gomen," She huffed, sweat beading her forehead and rolling down her temple and to her jaw. "I just want…to make sure…it has enough…reki!" She grunted, channeling her reki into the scorching red metal. She hit it two more times and flipped it over before releasing another stream of fire onto the opposite side. After hitting it a few more times, she grabbed the blade with steel prongs and dipped it into the pail of cold water. She closed her eyes tightly as stream rushed up and towards her face, the metal screaming in protest.

After a few minutes, Kagome pulled it out and allowed the warmed blade to rest in her palms as she inspected the dull, light grey metal. Satisfied, she moved over to the polishing station. She grabbed a rag and placed a good amount of oil onto it before rubbing down the blade. Afterwards, she grabbed her new leather hides and began to polish it.

Totosai watched her with a proud smile on his lips. This was the first sword she had actually created on her very own. Yes, he had helped by mixing the concoction into the metal, but that was only because his youki was needed to make it blend. Otherwise, it was all her doing.

He let a small sigh escape his lips. Where had the time gone? It seemed like only a moon cycle since she had come into his care. At first, his decision to take her in was solely based on her power alone, but she had unexpectedly become something so much more to him. He wasn't sure how it had come to be, but he could do nothing about it now.

"Toto-ji! It's done!"

He was dragged out of his thoughts by her exclamation. She was happily holding her project out to him, her smile making him do the same. He walked over and took the blade from her hands to look it over. It was light, but not overly so. It would swing efficiently through the air while still doing damage. It gleamed brilliantly and, after running his finger over the end of it, determined it was perfectly sharp.

He nodded his approval. "Very well done, Kagome-chan. But, you're not done yet. Have you finished the hilt yet?"

"Hai! I finished braiding it while the mold was sitting," She replied and took the unfinished blade from his hands. She let it lay on a large cotton handkerchief before going to grab the black hilt she had created. The guard was black, as well as the pommel, but the grip she carefully thought about. She had debated colors for a while, but finally decided to braid a white thread for it.

The miko walked over to her crafting table and grabbed a glob of Totosai's specially created putty that molded the blade into the hilt. She grabbed a metal container and melted the putty into a liquid before moving back to where the blade and hilt where. She lifted the hilt into her hand and filled the hilt with the putty before sliding the blade into place. She then placed the sword onto the uneven rack's hooks; one hook held the hilt while the other was a little longer and held the metal to make sure the blade solidified straight within the hilt.

She wiped the sweat from her brow and untied her hair, letting it fall to her waist. She looked at her creation as it sat there drying and couldn't help but smile triumphantly. Sesshoumaru had wanted a powerful sword, and so he would receive one.

**A/N: I know NOTHING about making swords XD But, I went with the flow (:**


	10. Delivery

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Ten: Delivery

"Wait until my command!" Sesshoumaru shouted at the combined army as the Southern forces charged towards them. He narrowed his eyes and glanced down at the sword in his hands. He needed it to last throughout this battle. It _had_ to last.

Kouga cracked his knuckles under the steel claws that were attached to his hand. The Goraishi had become a part of him not long ago after his ancestors' spirits had approved of him and his ways. He was thankful for the blessing as he was sure he needed the Goraishi and their grace for this war.

"You heard him!" Inuyasha called out to his troops. He was the chosen General of the Western army and he carried the title proudly. He and his brother may get into their altercations every other day or so, but war was when they truly got along with each other. They made somewhat of a game out of it, counting along their death toll as they went. He actually looked forward to this battle.

"Once the word is given do not let the enemy advance past the Boundary Point! We will keep the battle here and finish it!" Ginta called out before shifting into his wolf form. This was him and Hakkaku's time to prove to everyone why they were Kouga's right-hand men as well as his best friends.

"Don't let the trash enter our lands!" Hakkaku added before shifting next to Ginta and walking with him to stand at the front of the army with Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Kouga. Just because they were Kouga's friends didn't mean they didn't know how to fight. Others often thought otherwise.

Ayame, who reluctantly followed Kouga's order and stayed in the back, prepared her leaves for a whirlwind attack when needed. She didn't like being looked down on just because she was a female, but it was better than not being included as a whole from the battle like Kouga originally wanted. Sometimes, she was happy she was so stubborn and got her way. She would prove to every male that females were more than capable of fighting as well.

Amber eyes watched as the South approached closer. He focused in on the front line. Were those humans? Their clothes seemed somewhat familiar. Ah, the Taijiya village of the South. Again, how typical of Naraku. Did he really think humans could inflict damage on them? Especially with one of them being a young female? How pathetic. He waited until he saw the youngest boy draw his chained, scythe-like weapon and throw it at the nearest wolf to start the attack.

He lifted his hand up and then swung it down, signaling the troops to begin their advance. He unsheathed his sword as his army rushed past him and charged across the ground himself, searching for Naraku. If he could get to him without using his sword too much, perhaps it would hold up long enough to eliminate the Southern Lord.

*~~~SSS~~~*

"What? The war has already begun?" The miko asked incredulously as she clenched the scroll in her hands. She thought she would make it in time to deliver Sesshoumaru his sword, but it appeared she was late.

"Well, technically the war has been going on for the past six moon cycles," Totosai pointed out and blinked when she shot him a look. "What? It is true!"

"You know very well what I meant. The first _battle_ of the war. This is when war gets serious," She sighed and then re-opened the scroll in her hands, clicking her tongue as she read the message from Asano Sara.

_To Totosai the Youkai Sword Smith and his assistant,_

_I implore you to please, please finish Lord Sesshoumaru's, my mate-to-be, sword for the impending battle! I would say before, but it will start at sundown tonight. He, the Western Army as well as the Eastern Army, have already moved into the Boundary Point to meet the Southern forces to fight the first battle of the war._

_As his Intended, I am worried for his well-being with only a weak sword within his hands. I need him to return to me unscathed if possible. He is a strong warrior and needs a sword to match his strength and skill._

_So, please, Totosai-sama, help my love!_

_-Asano Sara_

_Hime of the North_

_Impending Lady of the West. _

Kagome sighed again. It kind of bothered her that she addressed Totosai so formally, but she was simply referred to as 'assistant'. Granted, that is what she was, but she had created Sesshoumaru's sword almost completely by herself. She took great pride in the fact and would make sure everyone knew it, especially Sesshoumaru. Maybe she would rub it in Kouga's face too since he had such a negative view on women.

Still, she glanced out of the mouth of the cave and saw that dusk was soon approaching. She came to the resolution that she would deliver Sesshoumaru his sword now, even if it meant diving into battle with them. She turned and looked at Totosai with a determined brow. "I'm going."

He let out an exasperated huff. "I knew you would," he replied and pursed his lips. "It is a good thing I already designed you a set of armor." He ushered her to follow him and she complied, following him back into the storage part of their home.

She tilted her head to the side as she watched him rummage through a few items before pulling out a covered box. He withdrew it from the room and placed it on the ground. She smiled when he pulled out the chest armor. "Toto-ji! It's perfect!" She cooed, taking the dark grey armor from him and slipping it on over her moss green haori. She tightened the pale yellow ribbon on her shoulders, lifting the armor into place. She then pulled her hair over her shoulder and began to braid it as he tied the matching obi around her torso to keep the armor in place.

He frowned as she swung her braid back over her shoulder and pulled on her black ankle boots. She then slid both hers and Sesshoumaru's swords into her obi and turned to look at him when he cleared his throat. "Be safe, Kagome-chan." He stated seriously. "Do not let anyone from the East wound you."

She smiled a lopsided grin at him. "I can't make any promises, but I will try, Toto-ji!" She waved to him. "I have to go! I will feel guilty if anything happens to Sesshoumaru because of his lack of sword!"

He watched her run out of the cave and shook his head. He didn't want her to go, not at all. He feared the worst and that not just being her death, but what could come after it.

She ran outside, intent on calling Momo for a ride, but paused when she saw the two headed dragon who had delivered the message still standing outside. She met one of their gazes with her sapphire blue pools and held strong as she walked over to them. Cautiously, she held her hands out to both of them, letting them smell her hands like one did with a dog. They sniffed at her hands before pushing their muzzled noses into her warm palms. She smiled gently at them and stroked the area in between their eyes.

"I have to ask, Dragon friend, will you please take me to your Lord? I have something that will greatly help him in battle." She spoke softly as to not frighten them.

The beast nodded and lowered its back low enough for her to climb on. She grabbed onto the horn of the saddle and swung her leg over it so she was straddling it. She took the reins of the dragon and nudged their hide with her heels to tell them that she was ready. With a mighty swoop of their wings, the dragon rose up into the sky with its passenger and took off towards the Boundary Point.

Kagome closed her eyes and hunkered down so that her chest armor was almost pressed against one of the dragon's necks. They were flying so fast, the cool sunset wind was almost painful for the soft skin on her face. She stayed that way for what felt like several minutes until she heard a rumbling from her dragon companion. Straightening back up, she let her eyes focus on what the dragon was looking at it.

A loud gasp escaped her lips as she gazed at the turmoil below her. There were so many bodies: both alive and dead. The once green grass beneath the soldiers' feet was now black with blood and burned from the few fire wielders she saw. The air, even from her spot high up in the sky, smelt of burnt flesh and rotting corpses all mixed with the scent of liquid iron. She shuddered, knowing the smell of blood very well from when her own village was attacked. She clenched her jaw as she saw the pack of wolves get sliced apart from an attack made from wind, their paws still twitching as they lay there.

She gripped the reins tighter in her hands as pain stabbed at her heart. This was just too horrid. The scene below her was way worse than when the bandits attacked her village almost two decades ago. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she nodded her head. She would help fight if it meant stopping another one of these battles from happening. She lowered her head to tell the dragon to take her down, but paused when she saw Sesshoumaru down below, facing off against a child on a flaming horse. She squinted her eyes to get a better look at what was happening. She let out another gasp when she saw his blade break off, the child getting ready to attack again.

"Take me down!" She ordered, urging the dragon to go towards his master.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Sesshoumaru's plan had not worked. It seemed that trying to weave through the massive amount of soldiers only made him a larger target. He could not walk more than three feet before he was attacked again. He raised his weakening sword and pushed back against the enemy's sword as it clashed against his. With another notch of strength, he pushed him back far enough to swing and cut through the man's neck; blood squirted from the wound and spilled onto the floor to mix with the other puddles of crimson.

"Twenty-three," He spoke casually and swiftly turned to the right to block another attack. He knocked the weapon from his hands and let his whip wrap around the soldier's neck before tightening it and decapitating his foe. "Twenty-four." He added as he heard the body fall with a 'thump' to the floor.

"Keh! You better catch up, Sesshoumaru! Kaze no Kizu!" Inuyasha shouted as he swung Tessaiga. The wind blades cut through swarm of onii, leaving the body parts to fall lifelessly to the ground with a sprinkle of blood. "That makes thirty-six!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. He did not lose; especially not to his half-breed, half-brother. He leaped over two bloodied bodies and a dead wolf before continuing on with his attacks. He had just finished killing three more when he spotted a pale white child coming at him on a horse youkai.

"Well, isn't it my lucky day? I will be the one to finish off the great Sesshoumaru." The boy spoke with arrogance and patted his steed's head. "Go, Entei!"

Sesshoumaru held up his sword for defense and allowed the fire attack to bounce off his blade. He narrowed his eyes at the boy. "You speak too boldly, child."

"Ha! I am Naraku's incarnation and can be as bold as I want for I am the most powerful one. Now, die!" He shouted as Entei released more fire attacks at the taiyoukai.

Again, he blocked them. But, unfortunately, as he did, what he feared what may happen, did. With a deafening _chank_, the blade cracked at the base of the hilt and broke off. Growling in anger, he tossed the useless weapon to the side and leaped back to miss the next throng of attacks. He eyes widened slightly when he suddenly felt the boy's presence behind him. How could he be so fast?

"Victory to Naraku by me, Hakudoushi!" He shouted and swung his naginata at the demon lord.

Sesshoumaru raised his arm guard to block it, but his brow furrowed when the blade blocked and repelled back a few inches before it touched him. His eyes focused in on his arm guard and saw a soft hue of pink surrounding not just the armor, but his whole person.

"Sesshoumaru!"

Knowing only one person to address him without an honorific, he looked up to see the miko jumping down from Ah-Un. He regarded her with his normal mask of indifference, "Miko," He saw the barrier she had put around him disappear and narrowed his eyes at her. "Do not interfere with my battles."

She gaped at him. "Are you kidding me? I just helped you out! I saw that your weapon just broke!"

He turned his head from her. "I had it under control. Do not presume me to be as weak as you."

She flushed next to him. "Are you-?! Ugh, never mind," She pulled his sword from her obi and handed it to him. "Here, I received a letter saying you were already in battle so I came to deliver it."

"Letter?" He faced her once more and held his hand out to take the sword from her hands. As soon as he wrapped his hand around the sheath, he could feel the pulsing power within it. He put his other hand around the hilt and removed the blade from its scabbard. He gazed at the sword in his hand and felt the power surge through it and into his hands, almost begging him to wield it and use its power.

He raised his golden pools and looked at the battle-clad miko in front of him. "What is its name?"

She smiled gently and shook her head. "That is for you to decide. It is your sword, Sesshoumaru. Name it and bond with it and you will discover its true power."

He nodded and held his sword out in front of him. After a few heartbeats, he spoke the name he had given his sword, "Bakusaiga." The sword glowed a radiant green to match its owner's youki, which made Sesshoumaru smirk in approval. He looked back at the miko and nodded to her. "It is up to par with my standards. You have done your job, now leave."

"Yes, leave little fly and let me finish killing off my pray!" Hakudoushi snapped, twirling his naginata in his hand before swiping it at the two.

She leaped back and furrowed her brows at Sesshoumaru. "I have come to help!"

He didn't look at her as he responded, "You will only get in the way. The battle field is not for females, especially ningen females. Now, leave!" With that, he straightened out his arm and pointed the end of Bakusaiga at the boy, sending green and yellow lightning strikes at him.

"Ha! That will not have any effect on me!" The boy laughed and raised his barrier. As he did, it absorbed the attack and shot it back out towards the two.

Kagome dove to the right, rolling on the soiled ground for a moment before springing back up to her feet. Go figure that as soon as she delivered the sword that she had solely created, that it would be turned against her. She looked over at Sesshoumaru, who had his eyes pinned on the evil child. She watched him lunge forward and swing his new blade at him, but was met with the same barrier as before.

She pursed her lips together as she studied the youki barrier that surrounded the arrogant boy. Normally, she wouldn't condone killing a young child, but his evil aura made shivers run up and down her spine. She yelped when a searing pain began to burn into her shoulder. She looked behind her to the flaming horse not ten feet away from her. She patted the small flame that lit her haori and turned to face the youkai. She slid her feet shoulder width apart and held her sword firmly in front of her.

Entei snorted loudly and stomped his front right foot on the ground before he fired more fire balls at her. She illuminated her sword with her reiki and blocked the attack. She stood still as he charged at her, his hooves making soft thumping noises on the moist dirt. She clenched her jaw in nervousness, but focused on the training that Totosai had taught her. She waited until the horse was close enough and promptly side stepped to the left and let the blade slice the horse from the shoulder of his left shoulder all the way across to his ribs. It wasn't too deep of a cut, but the reiki quickly made work of the youkai.

Hakudoushi paused in his attack on Sesshoumaru and slowly looked over to where his fallen companion was. "Entei!" He called and narrowed his eyes at the girl. "Bitch!" He shouted and suddenly swarmed towards her, his naginata pointed for death.

Kagome prepared herself in a defensive stance, but when Hakudoushi swung down his weapon, he was blocked by Bakusaiga. She looked to her right and gave a soft smile to see Sesshoumaru there, his honey orbs narrowed. Aww! He had saved her! Maybe he really did somewhat accept her!

"How low can you be to attack a worthless, weak miko? You are fighting me. Do not forget your opponent." He growled and sent a charge of his youki at the kid.

Okay, maybe not.

She huffed, but kept her blade lit with her reiki. Her cerulean eyes widened when the barrier absorbed the youki and she quickly encased her and Sesshoumaru in her own barrier as the attack shot back out at them. She pursed her lips together when Sesshoumaru shot her an annoyed look before looking back at the barrier now that it was close enough to inspect. To her, it was just a youki barrier. Was it that easy? Hoping her instincts were correct, she swung her sword at Hakudoushi.

Sesshoumaru watched the miko's sword hit the barrier, but was surprised when it sliced through it. Apparently, he wasn't the only one surprised as he saw Hakudoshi's eyes widened in horror when he realized his barrier had been breached. Taking advantage of the situation, he released another burst of his Bakusaiga's lightning and watched as it pierced the boy in the chest and tore him apart.

Watching the boy fall to pieces, and guilt stabbing in her chest for taking away another life, Kagome turned and gave Sesshoumaru a weak smile. "We aren't that bad of a team."

His eyes slanted her way. "Hn," He glanced around the battle field and saw that they were doing fairly well with minimal losses. It was the South who was suffering. "Leave, Miko. You are not needed."

She blinked and let her face turn into a mask of anger. "I just helped you! How can you say that?"

"As easily as I just did," He replied and began to make his way towards the back of the field where he expected Naraku to be.

She stumbled to keep up with him, her short legs jogging to do so. "Sesshoumaru, wait!" She called. She shrieked when a youkai suddenly jumped out in front of her, its large jaws snapping at her. She lifted her arm in defense and winced when its teeth sunk into the flesh of her forearm, her blood seeping into its mouth and down her skin to her elbow. Before it could bite down into her bone and break it, she flared her reiki. The youkai backed off with a howl, but one of its fangs snagged on her chained bracelet and broke it off as it fled.

Adrenaline still high from the surprise attack, she ignored the pain in her arm and put her feet into gear to chase after the taiyoukai as he made his way across the battle field.


	11. First Battle Complete

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Eleven: First Battle Complete

Kagome's heart felt as if it were trying to beat itself out of her chest. Her lungs felt as if they were scorching from a flame. She had been trying to chase after Sesshoumaru, but every time she got anywhere near him, a youkai from the South got in her way. She was glad her adrenaline was still running high; she didn't want to think of how everything would be if it diminished.

"AH!"

"Ayame-hime!"

"Don't worry about me! Just get him!"

"We're trying, Hime-sama!"

The miko turned to the scene several yards from her and saw a red-headed girl holding her bleeding shoulder, her lip turned up into a snarl as two ookamiyoukai attacked an enemy. She glanced over at where Sesshoumaru was effortlessly killing off the South before turning and running over to help the ookami.

"Are you okay?" She asked as she arrived at the girl's side. She had to admit, she was pleasantly surprised that another female was on the field fighting as well.

Ayame looked over the girl who was standing next to her. A human? "Hai…what are you doing on the battlefield? This is no place for a human!" She scolded and then grabbed her as she dove to the side to avoid the male's attack.

"Never mind that!" Kagome snapped as she straightened herself back up. She looked at the youkai who had just tried to attack them. "What is it?"

The wolf sighed and looked at him as well. "His name is Juroumaru. We already killed his brother, but he's just too fast to catch…"

The creature's eyes revealed no emotion. No hint as what it may be thinking or feeling. It unnerved her. Her eyes widened when he suddenly lunged towards them. She raised her sword and swung back as he attacked, meeting his blow and deflecting it. She watched as he jumped back, his face still unreadable.

Her chest heaved as she tried to think of a way to defeat the youkai. So far, her best way was to kill them with reiki. If it was also true with this youkai, then all she had to do was cut him deep enough for her reiki to enter his blood stream. But, how was she supposed to do so when he was so fast?

She illuminated her blade one more with her power and looked at the red-head. "Is there any way you guys can grab him? Pin him down? Or maybe even trap him?"

The girl furrowed her brow. "It isn't so easy, ningen." She replied and then glanced at the girl's lit up sword. A miko, huh? Where had the West grabbed her from? Still, maybe she could do damage when they couldn't. She sighed heavily and looked at her men. "Listen up! We all need to work together to try and keep him still."

"Hai, Ayame-sama!" They called and readied themselves to attack the youkai. As one, they leapt at the creature, trying to catch it or land some sort of blow.

Ayame put her leaf to her lips and blew against it, making vine rise from the ground and trip the youkai as it ran. "Get him!" She ordered to her subordinates. She watched as they piled on top of him, each of them grabbing an arm.

Kagome didn't waste any time running over to them. She stabbed her blade into his chest and allowed the reiki to flow into him and burn him from the inside out. She withdrew the blade and let her powers subside as she released a breath she didn't know she was holding. She looked at the ookami as they stood and hurried over to the girl as they began to fuss over her well-being.

"I'm fine!" She snapped and shooed them away with her hands. She looked at the miko and walked over to her. She held out her hand to her. "Thank you for assisting us, Miko. I am Ayame, Hime of the East's Northern Ookami Shinto Tribe."

Kagome blinked at the long title. "I am Kagome, sword smith assistant." She grasped Ayame's hand and shook it. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ayame-sama. And, it's nice to see a fellow female on the field."

The wolf gave her a smile. "I agree. We are frowned down on for being in battle."

"And for doing anything besides cooking and bearing children." She added sarcastically.

This made the red-head laugh. "Oh, indeed!" She smiled once more at the miko. "When this is over, we shall sit down with tea and discuss this topic further, if you wish."

She nodded enthusiastically. "Hai!" She looked over to where she saw Sesshoumaru's retreating form. "I have to go; I will see you soon, Ayame-sama!" She called before running over towards the taiyoukai.

*~~~SSS~~~*

"Stop right there!" A woman yelled at Sesshoumaru as he walked towards the back of the field towards the large tent that was surrounded with defending soldiers.

He paused to glance at the ningen before him. Wasn't she one of the Taijiya? He met her brown eyes that were filled with determination and hate and went to side step around her. "Leave, ningen, if you wish to live."

"Do not underestimate me!" She narrowed her eyes and swung her large boomerang to the side.

He easily avoided the butt of the weapon and moved back so that they were facing each other once more. "Do you seek death so soon?"

She ground her teeth together and tightened her hold on her weapon's strap. "It is you who will be dying!" All she had to do was get through this battle and win and her and her family would be able to go back to the safety of their village. All she had to do was defeat this one youkai. She could do it! She had to!

"Sesshoumaru!"

He narrowed molten honey eyes at the familiar musical tone. He glanced over his shoulder to see a dirty and blood covered miko make her way towards him. "Miko, I thought I told you to leave." He glanced her over. Somehow, the mixture of her battle clothes, plus the blood, dirt, and wounds made her look somewhat appealing; it was a relief compared to his immaculate intended. He found a strong female to be pleasing.

"And I _know_ I told you that I am here to help you!" She snapped and put her hands on her hips. She heard a sharp intake of breath and looked at the girl in front of them. She gasped in awe and pointed a finger at her. "Y-You are a human!"

The girl's brow twitched uncertainly. "As are you. Yet you are allies with this _thing_?" She asked.

Kagome's brow furrowed. "But…you are fighting with Naraku, are you not?"

The girl suddenly threw her Hiraikotsu at Sesshoumaru, thus answering her question. She couldn't believe that the Western lord was as low as Naraku in regards to having humans fight a youkai war. It was disgusting. Why couldn't youkai do their own dirty work?

He raised his sword and deflected the large boomerang before it came close enough to do any damage to him or the miko. Heartbeats later, he felt the weapon swing back their way, a loud _whoosh_ announcing its presence as it flew past him. He looked at the female Taijiya with disinterest as she caught her massive weapon easily.

"Prepare for your death, youkai!" She shouted and readied her weapon to throw again.

"No! Stop! You don't have to do this!" The assistant said desperately. If she had learned anything about Sesshoumaru during the four days they spent together, it was that he did not think twice about killing someone who annoyed him.

"Get out of the way!" She snapped back. "I have to kill this _youkai_."

"You say that as an insult and yet you side with one. Interesting." He replied and let his pointer and middle finger glow with his green whip.

Her chocolate brown eyes narrowed once more at his words. He had just added salt to the very fresh wound on her pride. "Shut up! You don't know anything!" She growled and swung her bone-boomerang at him once again.

He easily dodged it and snapped his whip at her. He was vaguely aware of Kagome shouting at him not to kill her. Not understanding why, he let his whip wrap around the Taijiya's forearm, the poison sinking into her flesh and burning it. He watched as she whimpered and drew her arm to her body, oblivious that Hiraikotsu was on its way back to her.

"Kazanna!"

The miko's eyes widened in shock as she felt herself get pulled in by a strong pressure. She cursed her light weight as she stumbled towards the source, her hair whipping around in front of her.

Sesshoumaru planted his feet in the ground as he felt himself being forcibly pulled in from the left. He saw the miko struggling to stay away from it, her feet sliding on the grass. 'Tsk'ing internally at the helplessness of the miko, he stabbed Bakusaiga into the ground and held onto it as he reached out for the miko and grabbed her arm before she was whisked away by the current.

She winced as pain shot through her arm. She was thankful for Sesshoumaru stopping her from getting sucked away, but he had grabbed the wound on her arm. Shaking her head to try and ignore the pain, she looked up and followed the taiyoukai's gaze. There was a man with dark brown hair and violet eyes standing there with his hand held up, a dark void in the middle of his palm.

The taiyoukai eyes widened slightly. "A wind tunnel?" He questioned and released the miko's arm as the man wrapped his hand back up with holy beads, the wind instantly stopping.

"Sango-san!" The male called and ran to Taijiya's side after succeeding in getting Hiraikotsu away from her.

"Hoshi-sama," Her heart fluttered as she saw he was alive and well. She had feared otherwise since they were humans fighting a youkai war. She frowned when he grasped her hand in his to inspect her forearm. "I-I am fine; it's just a scratch…" She murmured with flushed cheeks.

His brow furrowed as he looked at the destroyed skin. It was red and puffy, the inner, white lining of her skin showing from the burn. "You have poison in your wound, Sango-san. You must get healed."

She shook her head. "It will have to wait."

"Sango-san, this is youkai poison; and a poison from a full-blooded youkai at that. You must receive treatment now before it spreads and does irreversible damage." He spoke firmly.

"No! We have to kill this youkai and end the war, Hoshi-sama!" She shouted, tears beginning to form at the corner of her eyes. She wanted this whole ordeal to be over. Kohaku was too young to be fighting in something so horrid, the village men who fought at their sides all had families to return to, and her father was beginning to get affected by time's inescapable burdens, making movement hard and painful. She couldn't even begin to imagine how Miroku felt. Being cursed with the wind-tunnel until the war was over, but being punished every time he used it by it growing in size. She just wanted it all to stop.

"Hn," The taiyoukai's typical response came as he heard the words leave the female's mouth. How absurd; a female, a human nonetheless, to think that she could kill him, Sesshoumaru? Surely Naraku had warped their small, pathetic minds. That, or perhaps they were simply too naïve and foolish to know what was unattainable.

Either way, he began walking, no longer needing to bother himself with two ningens. He felt the miko fall in step next to him and mentally sighed. Apparently he still had one bother. Why would she not obey him? The battlefield was no place for a female. And a _youkai_ war was no place for a _miko_.

The monk looked over at the inuyoukai and his ally as they attempted to walk around them. He sharply stood up and faced them. "Then I shall end it now. For us and our families." He gripped the beads around his wrist and slid his feet to stand shoulder width apart.

Sesshoumaru, upon hearing the monk's words, pulled Bakusaiga from the ground and turned to point it at him. He planted his feet into the ground as he prepared for the human's attack again. He would destroy the ningen's arm if he had to in order to get past him and move on towards Naraku. He was tired of playing little games with insignificant beings. He only wanted Naraku and his blood to be spilled upon the dirt by his blade.

"W-wait a second!" Kagome stammered quickly, putting her hands up and standing between Miroku and Sesshoumaru. She did not feel like getting sucked into someone's hand at that moment. "We do not want to fight you. We just want to find Naraku and stop the war." She ignored the soft growl behind her which she was sure originated because she was 'interfering' with his battles again.

The monk's eyes tightened at the corners. "We wish for it to stop as well, but it will also end if we defeat the Western Lord." He replied, beginning to pull at the beads.

"Then our decision to end the war is mutual," She commented and took a step forward. "How about an exchange?"

He eyed her curiously. "Continue."

"If you let us pass, I will heal the wound on your friend's arm before the poison spreads." She offered, sheathing her sword to show she had no intention of fighting him or the girl next to him.

Sesshoumaru let out a sound similar to a scoff. "Do not make promises you cannot keep, Miko. There is no cure for this Sesshoumaru's poison."

She ignored him and continued to meet the monk's eyes. "The choice is yours."

The monk looked between the taiyoukai and the girl for a moment before looking at the now sweating Sango and her wounded forearm. With a reluctant sigh, he lowered his hand. "If you can do it, then I will act like I never saw you on the field."

Kagome smiled and nodded. "Arigato!" She then turned to Sesshoumaru. "Go find Naraku while I handle this."

His amber pools narrowed at her audacity. Had she just ordered him to do something? Did her disrespect and ignorance know no bounds? Still, he would have to deal with her negligence after he destroyed the Southern Lord. Without another word, he turned and took off towards the tent at the back of the field.

She watched the monk carefully as he watched the taiyoukai disappear. "Don't worry. I will keep my word," She stated and crouched down next to the girl. "My name is Kagome," She introduced and then held out her hand. "May I see your arm, please?"

Sango hesitated for a moment before nodding and reaching out to offer her arm. "S-Sango," She offered and then gasped when the girl's hand lit up with a soft pink hue, a warm sensation enveloping her arm as the light touched it.

"Y-you are a miko!" The monk blinked, his mouth falling open in shock. "Miko-sama, gomen! I did not know of your nature when I attacked."

Kagome nodded with a smile. "Hai, I am one. I don't blame you, Good Monk. This is a war after all."

He shook his head. "I should have listened to my instincts. Please, call me Miroku."

"Miroku-sama, Sango-san, it is a pleasure to meet you." She said and then smiled as the wound on her arm began to close up. "Sesshoumaru thinks his poison is incurable, and it probably is, but not for someone with healing capabilities." She said with a laugh.

The Taijiya pursed her lips together. "Miko-sama-"

"Please, call me Kagome." She interrupted with a smile.

"H-hai. Kagome-sama, why do you side with the Western Lord? Aren't miko and youkai supposed to hate each other? Did he force you to fight alongside him?"

"No, no, it's not anything like that," The miko let out a breath before she continued. "I guess it is just because I believe Sesshoumaru is the better youkai in this aspect. I heard what Naraku did to that human village in the Western lands and it just made my stomach curl in disgust."

Sango's brow furrowed. "What human village?"

She waited a few seconds after the wound was closed before she pulled her hand away. She looked up at met the girl's dark brown eyes with a solemn expression. "He ruthlessly slaughtered a human village that was within the boundaries of Sesshoumaru's protection. Killed everyone: children and women alike."

Miroku and Sango gasped before their faces contorted into a mask of pain. "That was not the first and it will probably not be the last. From what I understand, he is looking for something." He spoke softly.

She tilted her head to the side. "What is he looking for?"

"We are not sure." She answered and rubbed her healed arm.

Kagome sighed. "What are you guys doing here fighting for him?" She blinked when she saw them both bristle, their shoulders stiffening to the extent where her own shoulders were hurting. "N-never mind, you don't have to answer." She quickly replied and stood up. "I should go find Sesshoumaru…"

Sango nodded nimbly. She opened her mouth to ask the miko about not address him with an honorific, but cut herself off when a large wave of miasma suddenly filled the field. She quickly put her mask on to cover her face from the toxin. She waved to the miko. "We are pulling back. Arigato, Kagome-sama, perhaps fate will grant us a chance to meet outside the battlefield."

She nodded, her miko powers making her immune to the miasma. "Hai, you two be safe. Ja ne!" She called as the two disappeared in the cloud.

She looked around after the cloud cleared and winced at the horrible scene in front of her. The grass was now a mix of a crimson hue and black along with a decoration of bodies and body parts. She frowned as her heart clenched in her chest. Despite it being a war and no matter what side the bodies were from, she firmly believed there was no reason for so many deaths. So many beings should not have had to give up their lives for something so stupid.

"Oi! We need help over here! This one ain't gonna make it unless we do something!"

Kagome snapped out of her thoughts and looked over to where a hanyou dressed in a red hoari and hakama was carrying an ookami with a seriously over bent and broken leg. She quickly ran over to him to inspect the wound. It was definitely a gruesome sight. The bone was protruding from the flesh of the wolf, blood seeping from it mercilessly. "Put him down," She ordered. When he gave her a 'who the hell are you' look, she snapped at him. "Now!"

Inuyasha did as told and laid his ally in front of her. "What are you gonna do?" he asked, curious.

"You need to hold down his legs for me," When he did, she looked around until she spotted what she needed. "You two!" She pointed to two ookami. "Give me your scabbards." She let a snap of her power out when they stood there looking at her with dumbfounded expressions. "Now!" Kami, why did she have to keep reiterating herself?

She all but ripped them out of their hands and placed them next to her before she began her work. She looked at the hanyou next to her. "When I tell you, I need you to pull his leg straight towards you with a good amount of force." She then glanced down at the pained, scared eyes of the male. "This is going to hurt, but it will subside quickly after. Bear with me!" She said before she covered both of her hands over his thigh where the bone was sticking out. She nodded at the hanyou, who quickly did what he was told. At the same time, she pushed down, making the bone sink back down into his flesh and hopefully realign when her helper let go. She powered up her hand with her reiki and began to help seal the wound. She wouldn't use much on him because she had a feeling that many more would end up needing her help.

Hearing the painful howl of his friend and comrade ring out in the battlefield, Kouga pushed his way through the crowd that had formed. When he got to the front of it, he was stunned to see the girl who he had traveled with Sesshoumaru bandaging scabbards on either side of Ginta's thigh. "What is going on here? Ginta!"

"Kouga-sama," The wolf breathed and then gave him a forced smile.

"You are going to be okay, Ginta-san," Kagome said, using his name once she heard the arrogant wolf that she remembered all too clearly say it. "All done."

"Arigato, Nee-san," He said, smiling up at her. He let Hakkaku help him to his feet and then looked at Kouga. "Nee-san fixed my leg, Kouga-sama."

"Nee-san…?" He blinked at the female. He opened his mouth to say something, but cut himself off when Sesshoumaru approached. "Sesshoumaru, did you…?"

The taiyoukai let a deep growl rumble in his chest. "The coward was not even there. Guards surrounded his tent yet he did not dwell inside it. It seems the Southern Lord will not grace us with his presence on the battlefield."

"Fucking coward." Inuyasha spat and then turned back to the miko. "Will you help more?"

Sesshoumaru's brow twitched. Even his General was asking for the miko's help? Were these people so daft? She was a _female._ A _ningen_ female. A _miko_, ningen, female. Besides, what could she possibly help with now that enemy had retreated? He turned to the miko with an untrusting eye.

"I do not want to hear it," She began, not wanting to deal with Sesshoumaru's superior pep talks. "I am here to help and heal everyone." She stood and flipped her braid over her shoulder and then looked at her hanyou helper. "Where is the next one who needs immediate attention?"

**A/N: Yayyy, longer chapter :)**


	12. Questions

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Twelve: Questions

"Here is another one, Miko-sama!"

Kagome looked up from her current patient's wound and looked at the two soldiers carrying a bleeding wolf. Things had been somewhat chaotic since the end of the battle. She had healed those in danger of death there on the field, but told the others that they would need herbs and bandages to help the others. Inuyasha and the two lords had agreed and ordered for the soldiers to help transport the wounded to the medical wing of the West.

She raised one of her bloodied hands and pointed to an empty mat on the floor. "Place him there," She ordered and then turned her head to find the Western palace's healer. "Jinenji-san!" She called, gaining the tall hanyou's attention. "We have another one! And I need that herb mixture!"

"H-hai, Kagome-sama," He stammered and hurried with his mixing. Once he was done, he hurried over to her and handed her the wooden bowl.

She finished lacing a thread through her patient's skin and pulled it tight to make sure the wound was sealed shut. She let her hand hover over the wound for a moment, letting her powers sink under his flesh to heal the torn muscle beneath. When she deemed it enough to heal on its own, she took the bowl from Jinenji and helped the inuyoukai sit up enough to take a few sips from it. "This will help ease the pain for now. If it does not diminish by tomorrow, come back for more."

He nodded and stood on shaky legs. He lowered himself into a bow before hobbling out of the hospital wing. He bowed once more in greeting when Inuyasha walked in before disappearing.

Kagome looked back to Jinenji and handed him the bowl. "Please give every patient a dosage of this for their pain."

"Hai," He muttered before going to do as told. He was Western healer, and proud of it, but he had no problem letting the miko take control. Plus, he wasn't really the type of youkai to stand up to anyone, especially not a pretty lady.

She watched him go and gave Inuyasha a weak smile as he approached. She raised her hand to push a strand of her loose hair away from her sweat-clad forehead, not caring it was caked in blood. "Did you get more bandages?" She asked as she hurried over to her new patient, Inuyasha falling into step next to her.

"Yeah, they were in the supply storage. I guess we didn't really think of casualties when we were prepping for war." He said sheepishly and set the pile next to her as they kneeled down next to the troop.

"It happens," She commented as she began to clean the wound on the wolf's shoulder. "You are lucky you didn't have any large number of casualties. Sixteen total is not too bad; you were all very well prepared." Honestly, she had never experienced war before, but Totosai had told her countless stories and given her many scrolls to read on. She was no expert, but she wasn't naïve either.

He couldn't help but feel his chest swell in pride at her words; after all, he _did_ help train them and he _was_ the general. "Yeah, we made sure of it!" He grinned as he looked at her, but his face soon fell as he took in her appearance. She was covered in blood, her as well as others, and her hair was disheveled, but that wasn't what caught his eye. It was the way her lids drooped and how her hand shook as it gave off her reiki. "Hey, you doin' alright?"

She nodded meekly. "Hai, I just want to finish. Hopefully this one is the last one," She murmured. Truthfully, she wasn't sure how she was still upright and awake. She had stitched, cleaned, bandaged, poked, or prodded over twenty-six soldiers and all of them had received some length of her reiki. She knew she had been on an adrenaline high since the battlefield, but this was just insane. Was her power lasting this long because of her need to help them? Or was she really still lasting on adrenaline? She didn't feel like it.

She paused her power when the wolf began to cough, his body shaking as he came to. She put her hand under his head as he hacked, making sure he didn't choke on any fluid that may be rising form his lungs. She offered him a smile as he opened his eyes, but blinked when he suddenly growled at her.

Inuyasha, seeing the wolf getting ready to strike, released a warning growl. "Don't even think 'bout it, Wolf!"

The soldier glared at the hanyou. "Do not tell me what to do! She is a miko! I do not need her assistance! She will soil my reputation!"

The General's eyes narrowed. "Apparently your lord didn't teach yah squat about manners!"

"Do not insult Ayame-hime!" He snapped and sat up quickly, causing him to wince as a pain shot through his shoulder.

She put her hand on his shoulder, making sure to not touch anywhere near the wound, and applied a gentle pressure. "Don't move yet, your wound is still open."

He smacked her hand away with another growl. "Do not touch me, Miko."

"Hey!" Inuyasha snapped, but the wolf ignored him.

She sighed when he used her title with such a disgusted tone and looked at the fuming hanyou. "It is alright, Inu-kun, I was just about done anyways." She looked over at Jinenji and waved him over. "Please give him two dosages of the pain medicine. He is going to need it for his shoulder."

Jinenji nodded and took her place when she stood up. He let the wolf take two gulps of the mixture before standing up once again. "Arigato, Kagome-sama, for your help. I could not have done it on my own." He bent into a bow of gratitude.

She smiled at him. "I am sorry if I seemed to take over a little. I just wanted to help everyone."

He nodded, his large eyes closing as he smiled again. "It is quite alright."

"How fare the wounded?"

Inuyasha, Jinenji, and Kagome looked up when the Eastern and Western lord entered the room, Sara and Ayame at their heels. Immediately, the Western healer bowed while the other two remained upright, much to Sesshoumaru's and Sara's annoyance. "They are fine, thanks to Kagome-sama." The horse hanyou answered, still bent in another bow.

Sesshoumaru's amber pools scanned the medical wing, looking at the ookami and inu. They all seemed to be in a stable condition. He let his eyes fall on the miko. "You healed them?"

She met his gaze. "Hai. They will all be okay as long as they get a few days rest to heal completely."

He took in the girl's appearance for the second time that day. She was stained with dirt and blood, her own wounds still needing tending to. Had she really helped heal all these youkai without tending to her own wounds? "You have proven that you are of some value to the West."

"And the East," Kouga immediately chimed in, Ayame nodding in agreement next to him. "I will admit that I judged you wrongly from the start." He didn't like to admit that he was wrong, but he also did not like to hide from the truth.

She clicked her tongue and put her hands on her hips. "I did not do this to prove anything," She commented, but then let a tired smile tilt up her lips. "But, coming from you two, that is a rather flattering compliment." She glanced back at the hospital wing and then at Inuyasha. "Are you sure there aren't any others?"

He shook his head. "We got 'em all. We searched the field twice."

She nodded and let out a heavy sigh of relief. The tension she was holding dissipated and she smiled weakly at Jinenji. "I will let you take over from here, Jinenji-san." She nodded and gave him a little bow before beginning to walk away from the small group. Instantly, she felt the world tilt dizzyingly. As she feared, her body was shutting down after exhausting itself beyond her limit.

Inuyasha reached out for her as she fell, but pulled back when he saw his half-brother lazily hold out his arm to the side to let the miko fall on. "Sesshoumaru?"

The taiyoukai of the West looked at the two half-breeds. "Jinenji, tend to her wounds. Inuyasha, see to it that she is placed in a guest room. Also, make sure there is a servant there when she rouses." He ordered.

"Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama." The healer responded, taking Kagome from his lord and into his arms before placing the girl on one of the mats.

"Yeah, yeah, we got it. Y'all can leave now." Inuyasha added, waving his hand at them as he followed the horse hanyou.

The Western Lord watched them for a moment before turning to leave, all too aware of the piercing glare from his intended as she walked behind him.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Sesshoumaru sat at the small table in his room, documenting the names of his fallen soldiers. He was pleased to note that the West's casualties were much less than the East. Still, any deaths were not to be taken lightly. He would have Jaken make personal messages and deliver them to the packs of fallen. He stilled his hand in the process of writing a name as the scent of his intended invaded his nose. What did she want at this hour?

Sara hesitated as she raised her hand to knock on his shoji door. She was second guessing her purpose, but knew it was too late to turn back. Knowing her powerful mate-to-be had already sensed her, she swallowed her nerves and knocked on his door. Upon hearing his 'hn', she slid open his door and stepped inside the dimly lit room. "Konbanwa, Sesshoumaru-sama…" She began, shutting the door and walking over to his table.

"What are you doing here at this hour?" He inquired, getting straight to the point as he continued on with the final four names.

She pursed her lips together and kneeled down across from him. "I was just thinking about today's battle. It was a great victory for us, ne?"

"Hn," He set down his brush and lifted his cup of tea to his lips. "It is far from over, Sara-hime."

She lowered her eyes and nodded. "You are right. Still, it is a nice start," She fiddled with her thumbs. "Especially with the _miko_ aiding us..."

Sesshoumaru's ears caught the odd twang in the way she spoke of the miko. "Her healing capabilities will have the troops readied for the next battle." He sipped his tea, expecting the topic to be done with.

"Indeed," She let her eyes roam over his handsome features. His long, silvery white hair cascaded over his muscular shoulders and down his sleeping yukata and his amber eyes gleamed in the dim fire light. She felt the deep longing within her stir as she gazed at him. She wanted to have him to kiss her, make love to her like in the stories she had read, or to simply hold her in the security of his arms. She was reminded of how he had caught the miko before she fell; she didn't like that some girl was able to be held by those same arms. "Where did she come from?"

He raised his eyes to meet hers at the random question. "She hails from mutual territory."

She clenched her hands on her sleeping yukata. "How did you come to know her?"

Why was she questioning him about the miko? "She was there when this Sesshoumaru went to inquire Totosai about forging a sword."

Her brow furrowed. "Why was she there?"

"She is his assistant," He saw her mouth open and held up his hand to stop her from asking another question. "I grow tired of these questions."

She put her hands on the table and leaned forward to continue her drilling. She would not let this go so easily. "Why is she his assistant?"

"I believe I said I was done with these questions." His tone was sharp.

She pressed on. "Why was she on the battlefield?"

"Asano-hime-"

"Why is a woman allowed to fight on the field when it is frowned on by all others?" She saw his lip curl up into a snarl, but ignored it and continued on. "Why is she here now?"

"Enough."

"Why are you allowing her to stay?"

"Do not make me repeat myself."

"Why is she-?" She abruptly stopped herself when his youki pulsed angrily.

"Enough," He did not need to shout the word; the power and unspoken threat was enough as it bounced off the wooden walls and enclosed on them. He watched as she bared her neck to him in submission and felt his beast growl annoyingly inside him. "If you wish to know so much about the miko, then I suggest you speak to her and stop bothering me with your pointless babble," She opened her mouth, but he let another flare of his youki out. "Leave."

She swallowed a dry lump in her throat and took in a shaky breath. "Gomen, Sesshoumaru-sama," She leaned forward across the table and dared to press a gentle, light kiss to his cheek. She then stood from the table and quickly made her way to the door. "Sleep well, my Lord."

"Asano-hime," He spoke, making her pause. Her questions about the miko had brought about the memory of something she had said to him on the field. "Before you leave I have a question that requires an answer from you."

"Ask anything and I will speak true," She replied.

"The miko mentioned upon her arrival that she had received a letter saying that I was already in battle. I know not the specifics, nor do I care, but I demand to know who wrote it." His eyes slanted her way, his face unreadable.

She cast her eyes down, not able to meet his smoldering ones. "I-it was I, Sesshoumaru-sama. It is just that Totosai was taking his time and I did not want you out there without a proper weapon! And I was so worr-"

"Silence," He narrowed his eyes a fraction of an inch when she sniffled and tried to hold back tears. "You will not interfere with this Sesshoumaru's affairs again. Do you understand me?"

She held back a sob. "H-hai…"

"Good. Now, leave." He ordered and turned back to the papers on his table.

She nodded and hurriedly left the room. As she all but ran down the hall, she felt her heart clench in pain, her face paling as she came to a realization. She had upset her love. _Again_. Why? Why was she so poor with him? Why couldn't she be the way he wanted her to be? What _did_ he want her to be? _How_ did he want her to act? What did she have to _do_ to get him to simply _touch_ her?

Sesshoumaru sat there after she left, glaring at the table and cursing his father for the ridiculous predicament he put him in.


	13. Tea with the Hime

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Thirteen: Tea with the Hime

The ebony haired priestess turned on her cot, tangling herself in the blankets that had previously covered her. The beam of light coming from the crack in her window bathed itself upon her eyelids, making it almost impossible to fall back asleep. With a sigh, she opened her eyes and gazed up at the ceiling above her.

Where was she?

Kicking off the blankets, she sat up and stretched her arms high above her. She remembered being in the West and helping heal the wounded, but didn't remember venturing to the current room she was in. She stood up off of the cot and jumped when a loud knocking was heard from the door of her room.

"Hai?"

The door slid open and a girl with straight, shoulder-length black hair poked her head in. Her brown eyes warmed upon seeing the miko and a smiled curled up her lips. "Good morning, Miko-sama!"

"Good morning," She replied and watched as the girl walked in, sliding the door shut behind her. She then moved over to the wardrobe and began to rummage through it. "A-ano…"

"Ah! This one is perfect for your eye color!" The girl said with a smile as she pulled out a silver kimono covered in green and sapphire swirls and sakura petals. "Perfect for your tea date! Now, time to get you dressed!" When she turned to a pale miko, she frowned. "Something wrong, Miko-sama?"

Kagome blinked and shook her head. "I'm not sure what 'tea date' you are talking about, but I do not feel comfortable wearing such an extravagant kimono."

The girl immediately deflated. "But, you would look so pretty!" She sighed dramatically before putting the garment back into wardrobe. "Hmm, we have to dress you perfectly for the tea date!"

"What tea date are you talking about? And who are you anyways?" She asked, almost getting nervous by the girl's enthusiasm.

"Oh!" The girl paused her searching and bowed low. "I am Eri! I have been assigned as your personal servant while you stay here in the West!" She straightened up and then flashed a smile at the miko.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Eri-san," She replied with a smile. "But, I don't need a servant," She saw the girl's face fall and immediately felt bad. "Um, but I do need a friend. Someone to show me around and help me remember who everyone is."

Eri brightened once more. "Then that's me! You can count on me for everything! Especially with the gossip of who is dating who and who to watch out for as well as who is up for grabs!" The girl winked before turning back to the wardrobe. "What about this?" She asked, pulling out a sky blue yukata with short sleeves.

"It is better than the kimono. But, you still haven't told me what this tea date is about." She said, blinking at the girl's short attention span and quick words. The girl could definitely talk, and fast at that.

"Crap! You are right! Gomen! You have been asked to join Asano-hime and Ayame-hime for tea in the Garden room." She informed as she walked over to the miko. "Arms out! We have to get you dressed!"

Kagome did as told and held her arms out as the girl quickly disrobed her. She blushed at being exposed in nothing but her chest groin wraps. She always dressed herself and did not enjoy being bare in front of a stranger. "I know who Ayame is, I met her on the battlefield, but who is Asano?" She asked as the girl slid on the inner yukata and tied it around her before sliding on the pale blue yukata. She inhaled sharply when Eri tied the obi tightly around her waist.

"Asano-hime is the Sesshoumaru's intended," Eri replied, grabbing the miko's long hair before brushing out the tangles.

Now that she thought of it. Wasn't it Asano-hime who sent Totosai the message? And there was something about the way Eri said intended that made Kagome raise a brow. "What does _intended_ mean? And are you not fond of her? You speak coldly of her."

"A youkai's _intended_ means they are to be Mated. It is a youkai tradition. It's like a ningen fiancé," The servant sighed heavily as she took her hair from the temples back and twisted it before pinning it to the back of the miko's head. "It isn't as though I despise her. She just needs to learn when to _stop_. She's constantly all over my Lord and you can tell he just wants to rip her face off."

Kagome's brow furrowed. Why would he treat his intended that way? She snorted at herself. Why wouldn't he? It was Sesshoumaru, after all. "Speaking of youkai and ningen, aren't you ningen?"

"Hai! Me and two others were lucky enough to be chosen to serve the lord and lady in their kingdom." Eri said with a grin. "And let me just say, it is an honor for me to serve you! You are an inspiration for me and my two best friends. Rumor of your courage and skills has filled these halls!"

The miko blushed. "I really did not do much…"

Eri slapped the girl on the back. "Hush!" She ordered. "You healed the wounded! But, before that, you gallantly rushed into battle to deliver our Lord his sword when he was mere moments from death!" She had stars in her eyes and she dramatically moved her hands along with the words she spoke, putting on a sort of show.

"He wasn't mere moments from death-"

"Then you two fought alongside each other, your backs pressed intimately into one another's as you defeated the enemy! Oh, how lovely!" She chimed, her hands laced together and pressed to her chest.

"We didn't touch each other like that at all!" Kagome exclaimed. Were these the kind of rumors running around? She could only imagine how annoyed Sesshoumaru would be if he heard of such things.

Eri pouted. "Well, a girl can dream, huh?" She then put out a pair of sandals for her new friend and ushered her to slip into them. "So! Any questions before I bring you to your doom?"

"Doom?" She echoed. "Why do you say that?"

The servant snorted as she pulled two sakura petals from her apron. She ripped them so that the meat of the petal was exposed and rubbed them on the miko's neck. "Because Asano-hime is the one who requested the tea time with you. I heard from Yuka that the only reason why she invited Ayame-hime was because she didn't want to seem rude or suspicious. That in _itself_ is suspicious. She most definitely has ulterior motives."

Kagome blinked. "Oh, I see." She pursed her lips together. What did the hime want with her of all people?

"Do not let her get to you, Miko-sama. My best friends and I will be there in the room with you along with the three royal guards. If she tries anything, we will all be there!" She said and began to lead the miko from her room and towards the Garden room.

"Please, Eri-san, call me Kagome," She began and then tried to remember her surroundings for later as they walked. "Who are the three royal guards? Have I met them? On the field?"

Eri snorted again. "As if. The three can fight, there's no doubt about that, but they only stay in the castle. Jura is a tiger youkai who came with Asano-hime from the North. He is her personal guard who I believe has a burning desire for her, but would never _dream_ to admit it. He is always watching her so carefully, even though he is a brute!" She exclaimed and then waved her hand in front of her face. "Anyways, Kyora is Inukimi-sama's, that's Sesshoumaru-sama's mother, personal guard. He has been by her side since way before even Sesshoumaru-sama was born. But, they are not in the castle at the moment which is good because Sesshoumaru-sama really cannot _stand_ him. Oh, so I guess that means it will only be Jura and Ryura. Ryura is a dragon youkai, by the way. He pledged his loyalty to the West when a member of his clan killed Sesshoumaru-sama's father so he just kind of guards anything that has to do with the West now."

Kagome could a feel a headache coming on from the amount of information that was just thrown at her. "O-okay, I think I understand." She murmured and watched as Eri slid open a pair of shoji doors.

The Garden room was simply breathtaking. One of the walls was open to the outside, giving a lovely view of the plush green foliage and colorful flowers that had been brought in with summer. There was a small pond dug into the ground outside, stones lining the rim of it to create a small ledge. The room itself was made of a light brown wood. The tatami mats were a light green, pale pink designs weaving across them.

"Announcing Miko Kagome-sama's arrival!" Eri called out and bent into a bow.

"Kagome-san! Come, come!" Ayame called with a smile and waved her hand from her spot on her cream, plush cushion.

Smiling, Kagome began to walk over to the short table. She stopped suddenly though when a bulky youkai stepped in front of her, his arms raised. She stepped back with one foot, sliding into a defensive pose while her reiki simmered beneath her skin in anticipation.

He laughed harshly at her stance. "Ha! Do you really think a little human like you would stand a chance against me?" He asked and put his hands on her shoulders.

Right when she was about to release a blast of her power, she stopped when another man knocked his hands away and off of her. "Enough, Jura. She is obviously not armed and wishes them no ill will."

Jura let out a growl and turned away from the dragon youkai. "You have gone soft, Ryura. Did you already forget when we were the Four War Gods? So much for our ferocious leader who instilled fear in all who crossed his path."

"I am trying to atone for the things I have done. Perhaps you should try it." Ryura replied with a glare of his crimson eyes. With that, he turned to the miko. "Do not mind the tiger. He is overly cautious. I am Ryura, Royal Guard of the West. While you are in the West and hold its favor, you will be guarded."

"T-thank you," She blinked as she watched him walk away from her, his blue-grey braid swinging as he did. She followed him with her eyes until he stepped outside, standing opposite of Jura. She then looked over at Ayame and sat down on one of the plush cushions next to her.

"Geez, Sara-sama, I think you need to tell your guard to calm down a little," The wolf commented with a smirk. She was dressed in a white yukata with red star patterns stitched into the fabric. It was tied shut with a black obi and a white fur shawl was draped over her shoulders. "He's so serious!"

"He was simply doing his job. Making sure to protect me from anyone or…thing." The other woman spoke up from across Ayame.

Kagome did a double-take at the lady and her words. _Thing_? Was that because she was a miko? "Ah, yes, I suppose he can't be too safe with the war going on." She spoke, trying to offer some explanation for the random rude comment as Eri hurried over with a cup of tea.

The Eastern princess decided to change the subject. "Well, I am glad you are well, Kagome-san! I saw you faint and was so worried that your injuries had gotten the best of you." Ayame said, her emerald eyes falling on the miko's bandaged forearm.

"Yes, but," Sara sipped at her tea and then peered at the miko over the rim of her cup. "She had nothing to worry about. Sesshoumaru was so gallant as to run to her aid and sweep her off her feet when she collapsed. He even made sure she was tended to."

Kagome's brow furrowed at the bitterness in her tone, but chose to ignore it. Once it was brought up, she remembered blacking out, but did not know what happened afterwards. Did Sesshoumaru really do that? "Well, that was very kind of him. I will have to thank him when I see him."

The red head waved her hand in front of her face. "Really, Sara-sama, you are so dramatic," She cast a lazy glance at Kagome. "He just held out his arm and let you fall on it so you wouldn't injure yourself further by falling on the floor. I think it was just because you happened to faint right next to him."

"Oh," The miko responded and sipped her tea. Why would Sara exaggerate the truth so much?

"Anyways, I am happy you are here and in our company! I really wished to speak to you further after our encounter on the battle field." Ayame said with a smile and giggled slightly to herself when she remembered the words they exchanged about men's views on women.

"Yes, so gracious of you to bless us with your presence…even though you are late." Sara added, sipping her tea once again.

The miko bristled at the animosity behind the woman's words. "I was unaware of the invite, Hime, but once it was brought to my attention, I just couldn't refuse," She replied with her own twinge of sarcasm. She could only handle so many rude gestures at once before she began to play back. She smiled when a servant refilled her a cup of tea and then looked at Ayame. "And hai, I am fine, Ayame-sama. No need to worry."

"I'm glad!" The wolf cheered and then reached over to grasp one of the rice balls on a silver tray. "Also, it was brought to my attention that a member of my pack snapped at you and disrespected you. I ensure you, when he is healed, he will be taken care of and punished accordingly."

"I hardly think that is necessary," Sara spoke up, causing the two to look at her.

Ayame furrowed her brow, her tail swishing in annoyance at the woman's persistent rudeness towards her new friend. "No, Kagome-san has proven her worth to both the East and the West. She should be properly addressed and respected."

Kagome, though she was not fond of this fellow human at all, had to agree. "I agree with Sara," She began, dropping all honorifics and titles from the woman's name. "You should not punish him. I do not expect to be treated differently just because I helped everyone. Everyone is entitled to their opinion."

"Exactly, he was simply voicing his disgust." The Northern princess chimed in with a tone of fake sweetness.

The miko had had enough. "Perhaps you should do the same."

Sara choked on her tea at the miko's words as well as the giggles from the three female servants. She hadn't expected her to be so forward. She dabbed a napkin to the corner of her mouth and took the time to try and recollect herself. "Excuse me?" She finally asked.

"You heard me," Kagome replied, her hand tightening on her cup. "Since I arrived, all you have done is belittle me and throw rude comments in my face. What, may I ask, have I done to gain your hatred?"

Ayame stared at the miko with her mouth agape before it twisted into a smirk. She knew she liked this girl for a reason. Normally, especially with Lords and Ladies of royalty, one would ignore the uncouth comments or simply throw some of their own, but never did anyone stand up for themselves or inquire as to why. She glanced over at Sara and was pleased to see that she was shocked beyond words. Served her right for treating the miko so cruelly.

"I-well, you see-," She paused and cleared her throat. "I do not like how familiar you are with my intended."

Kagome blinked before she raised a brow. "What are you talking about? Familiar? How?"

"You have his favor. You are able to stay in the wing that is only for visiting land officials and fought alongside him. Plus, you do not use an honorific with his name. You are much too familiar with him for my liking." She replied, hands clenching. "He is to be mated to me, not you. Now, I demand that you tell me the specifics of your relationship with him."

"D-demand?" She laughed harshly. "I will tell you the same thing I told your intended: you have no ruling over me. I do not have to do as you say."

She pursed her lips together. "So, he did not order you to fight in the war?"

Kagome's brows knitted together at the random question. "What? No! I just said he has no ruling over me!"

"Then what would drive you to freely enter a battle that did not concern you at all? Have you fallen for my love? Yes, that must be it. He probably spent a night with you, and then cast you aside after using you, but you refused to believe it so you threw yourself into battle to show your love for him. You are just a tragic, poor little wench, aren't you?"

Kagome's sapphire eyes narrowed dangerously. She slammed her cup down on the table before standing up sharply, her reiki pulsing angrily. She ignored Jura and Ryura as they entered the room, shoulders tense at the possibility of impending trouble. "You have no right to speak to me in such a way! I will not stay here and allow you to degrade me any further, Sara." She turned to Ayame and gave her a forced smile. "Perhaps we can do this with just the two of us next time." She said before she began to make her way to the door. "Eri! Would you please show me back to my room?"

"H-hai!" Eri said, all but glowing at the awesome fit of drama she had just experienced.

"Arigato," She said and then turned back to look at Sara as Eri opened the door for them. "Oh, and Sara, I did not spend one night with Sesshoumaru," She waited until she saw the girl's shoulder's slump a bit from relief before continuing. "I spent _three_ nights with him." With that, she took her leave with Eri, Ryura not far behind.

**A/N: .;; Don't you just love drama and impending drama? So entertaining. **

**A couple of things. Yes, Eri is from Kagome's group of friends in her time in the series. Yuka and Ayami are the other 'best friends' as well. Also, Jura, Ryura, and Kyora, are from the fouth Inuyasha movie :). Yes, Ryura is OOC, but I kind of tweaked him as to how he may be if he didn't die. I am making him repent for the all the trouble and pain he has caused.**


	14. Rumors

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Fourteen: Rumors

Kagome sighed mentally as she walked down one of the long corridors of the Western Palace. Despite her frustration and the whispers that surrounded her, she kept her back straight and her chin tilted up as she pretended not to hear the vicious accusations. She just hoped that the servants and soldiers couldn't see through her façade of confidence; she didn't want to appear guilty and feed into the rumors further.

In truth, she had no one to blame for her predicament but herself. She had become upset and said her last words to Sara in spite, even though she knew the other woman would take it a different way than the actual truth. She should have known that word of her outburst, _confession,_ as most now called it, would have traveled far in the past five days. She could not walk anywhere without the wicked stares or accusing whispers following her like an annoying gnat.

What she did not expect, was how twisted the rumors would become. It had started off as her and Sesshoumaru having a three day long rut because that was just how _insatiable_ their lord was. Then, it turned into her forcing him to have sex with her in order for her to create his sword, which thus earned her the new nickname _Harlot. _The most recent turn of events was that she had become his concubine and he only brought her to the West to keep her in the palace to anger Sara which then insinuated that she was after the title of 'Lady of the West'.

It was all just ridiculous.

"Miko-sama,"

She blinked herself out of her thoughts and shame and looked up to see Ryura standing in front of her. "Ryura-san," She began and tucked a strand of her loose hair behind her ear. "Good morning."

As much as she tried to keep her composure over the last few days, she had a few slip ups. The royal guard had been there to listen to her rants and fits, as well as calm her down with his truth-holding words. Despite his help, she was ashamed of herself for not just getting herself into this mess, but for letting such idiotic things actually get to her and cause her to break down in front of the handsome youkai.

"Good morning, Miko-sama," He bowed his head towards her and then glanced over her shoulder to where two female servants stood, pointing very rudely at the miko's back and whispering to each other. His sensitive ears easily picked up their words.

"Can you _believe_ that Sesshoumaru brought her here just to make Asano-hime mad?"

"I do not see why he chose _her_, a _human_, to be his concubine! I would have been a much better and experienced lover."

"How desperate could she be to make Sesshoumaru mate with her as payment for his sword?"

"I do not know, but it is disgusting."

"What a Harlot."

Ryura had heard enough. He let a loud growl rumble in his throat before he snapped out his irritation, "Get back to work!" The girls squealed in fear before scrambling away to finish their tasks.

"Ryura-san, it is okay," She said softly. Truthfully though, she was glad he had scared them off. She had felt their spiteful aura behind her, but chose not to acknowledge them.

He turned his crimson eyes on her and shook his head. "It is not. Any youkai with half a nostril would realize that your scent is still pure," He commented as he walked with her down the hall. He did not agree with the miko's way of handling Asano's rudeness, but he did not blame her. He also did not believe she deserved such harsh treatment from those of the Western house, but he knew it would happen. Such was the way of women. Thus, he chose to stay close to her the past days to make sure no harm came to her. "The youkai on the grounds will come to realize the truth, but it is the human females that will persistently be unrelenting."

She blushed at his words. It was embarrassing to know that he could smell her…innocence. She would admit that she was attracted to the dragon youkai, despite the way her miko powers tickled under her skin when he was near, and it was bittersweet that her inexperienced body was so apparent to him.

"Thank you for standing up for me, Ryura-san." She replied, looking down at the floor.

"It is not an issue, Miko-sama," He nodded. "I told you that while you held the West's favor, you would have protection."

She smiled at him. "That is good to know. But, I plan to be going home soon. I only stayed long enough to make sure the wounded healed without an issue."

He frowned at her words. "You do not plan to stay until the war is over?"

She shook her head. "No, and after this whole ordeal, I do not believe I should fight in the next battle. It will just add more reason continue the rumors."

The dragon stopped their walking and grasped her warm hand in his cold one. "I heard of your skill as well as witnessed your healing capabilities, Miko-sama; the West needs your aid. Do not let petty talk dissuade your opinion on helping people."

Her cheeks warmed pink again and she found she couldn't look the youkai in the eyes. She looked down at her small hand enclosed in his large one and felt her skin grow hotter. "I-I will think on it, Ryura-san."

He nodded. "I suppose that is all I can ask of you."

She smiled and felt his hand tighten on hers for a moment before she heard Eri's voice shout at her frantically, causing his hand to fall away abruptly. She blinked when Eri ran up to her, panting heavily. "Eri-chan?"

"K-Kagome-chan! It's bad!" She panted, putting her hands on her knees as she heaved and tried to regain her breath. "S-Sesshoumaru-sama has requested- no, _demanded_- your presence in his study!"

Kagome paled. This was the moment she was dreading: Sesshoumaru confronting her about the rumors she had unintentionally started. She turned stiffly towards Ryura. "What happens to my protection when I no longer hold the West's favor?"

He gave a fangy grin. "Well, then you are on your own, Miko-sama."

She sighed heavily. "That was not the answer I was looking for, Ryura-san…"

He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Do not fear Sesshoumaru-sama. His bark is less harsh than his bite."

She pursed her lips together. "And if he decides to bite?"

"Then may the Kami watch over your soul." He said with a soft chuckle.

"Ryura-san, you are not helping!" She groaned miserably.

The ex-war god shook his head with a smirk. "No one can help you if you bring upon Sesshoumaru's wrath. Just try not to anger him. Eri," He looked at the servant and gave Kagome a small nudge forward. "Escort the miko towards our Lord's study."

She nodded. "Hai, Ryura-sama," She grasped her friend's hand before tugging her along. "Come, Kagome-chan. Might as well get it over with."

Kagome frowned and nodded meekly. "Hai…"

*~~~SSS~~~*

The Western Lord was kneeling at his desk, scribbling his elegant script upon a scroll parchment as a response to the Northern Lord's persistent messages. Apparently, he had received word of the rumors going around within his halls. Every time a new one was created, Sesshoumaru had a new message waiting for him on his desk. All were accusing and threatening, but some held a twinge of pleading while others demanded he make the Mating official.

He scoffed.

How ridiculous of this human lord to tell him what to do. Obviously the male had forgotten his place. He was tempted to write as such, but knew he could not due to the fragile state of the treaty. So, instead, he bluntly denied all claims of his affairs with the miko. He did admit that he traveled with her, but it was strictly business related and that his relationship with her was platonic.

He signed the paper with his name, status symbol as lord, plus the West's insignia before he rolled the scroll shut. He poured hot wax on it and drew the crescent moon sign into it with his claw. He then waited for it to cool before handing it off to a servant who in turn went to find a messenger. He waited until the servant was gone before pressing his pointer finger to his temple.

Sesshoumaru could not believe how chaotic his palace had become with the miko's arrival. Every time a new story came up, Sara was at his side, balling her eyes out and demanding the truth. He closed his eyes in irritation as he remembered Sara's first fit five days ago. He had been having tea with Inuyasha, and Kouga and his two minions, discussing war tactics, when she offensively interrupted.

_All youkai turned sharply towards the shoji door when it slammed open suddenly. Asano-hime abruptly stormed in, black tears pouring down her cheeks from her painted makeup, and made a straight line towards the Western Lord._

_Kouga cleared his throat at the unladylike motion and rudeness as he stood from his spot at the table. "We will continue out talk later, Sesshoumaru." He nodded his head towards him before leaving the room, Ginta and Hakkaku following closely behind him. _

_Sesshoumaru watched him leave before his golden eyes slanted up towards Sara's shaking form. "I assume you have a decent excuse for imposing on our conference." His tone was sharp with impatience._

_"I-" She choked out a sob and then quickly looked at Inuyasha. "Leave us!" She snapped, her tears welling up in her eyes once again._

_Inuyasha sneered. "I ain't gotta listen to you, Lady." He crossed his arms into the red sleeves of his haori. _

_He glanced at her half-brother. "Leave, hanyou." He demanded. He wanted to deal with the hime as fast as possible and could not do so if Inuyasha was in the room. _

_"Keh, whatever. I'll see you later." He said before standing up and leaving the room as well. _

_As soon as the shoji door slammed shut, she flung herself as gracefully as possible at Sesshoumaru. "My love! How could you?!"_

_He had been holding a cup of tea when she did, so he caught her with one arm out of reflex, not wanting the hot liquid to spill and cause a mess. He realized soon though, that he would have rather let the tea spill. She buried herself in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably and staining his silk with her running paint. _

_Narrowing his eyes slightly, he put the cup down and attempted to remove her person from his, but she formed a fist and punched him in the chest in anger. Of course, it did not hurt, but he did not like being hit in anger for reasons unknown to him. "What do you speak of?" He asked._

_She shook against him as she cried, hitting him once again with her fist before grabbing the silk of his haori tightly with both hands. "H-how could you?!" She screamed as she pulled away from him slightly. "Why her?! Why not me?!"_

_She went to hit him once more, but he quickly grabbed her wrist to prevent her from doing so. She tried to use her other fist, but he easily stopped that one as well. He pushed her back away from him and onto the floor, pinning her beneath him as she thrashed. "Cease your actions," he commanded. When she did not, he spoke in a deeper, louder tone. "Stop."_

_She froze and looked up at him with her steel grey eyes. With a quivering lip, her tilted her head back in submission, exposing the flesh of her neck to him. Despite her anger towards him, she would always obey him like the perfect mate she was meant to be. _

_"I have calmed." She announced quietly. _

_Her aura stated otherwise, but at least she had stopped moving. Again, he hated how easily she submitted to him, but pushed aside his beast's annoyance with his own. "Then speak." He said darkly, eyes narrowed down at her. "Do not tell me a riddle. Speak true and to the point."_

_She nodded meekly, but could not help but admire to view of her love above her. His silky silver hair cascaded over his shoulder to pool around them as he pinned her wrists down dominantly. Would he be so dominate during their mating? She hoped so. She felt her stomach tighten in desire, but it quickly turned to anger again. That _miko_ had had what she so very much desired. It was not fair! _

_She turned her head away from him again. "I know of your nights with the miko."_

_Sesshoumaru raised a brow. "That is why you are upset?"_

_She bristled. "You do not deny it!"_

_"I do not deny the truth. I traveled with the miko for four days." He retorted. "I accompanied her to a village."_

_She felt fresh tears pour from her eyes. "Why?" She whispered miserably._

_He did not comprehend why she was so depressed by this fact. He hated explaining himself. He, Sesshoumaru, answered to no one. Still, he wished to know what had angered her out of sheer curiosity. "Totosai had told me to that I had to win the miko's favor in order for Bakusaiga to be created. It was a test that my father had set up. Thus, I accompanied her during her travel."_

_"So you gained her favor by bedding her?!" She snapped angrily._

_He blinked once in shock, but his face otherwise remained impassive until his eyes narrowed into slits. He tightened his hold on her wrists. "What did you say?"_

_Her eyes widened at the new pressure on her wrists. "Y-you bed-" She winced when his claws dug into her skin. "S-Sesshoumaru-sama?"_

_"You openly insult this Sesshoumaru? Does your ignorance know no bounds?" He growled._

_She flinched as she realized she had made a very bad mistake. "Y-you did not lay with her?"_

_He snarled this time. "Are you deaf as well? Did your hearing leave with your small amount of intelligence?"_

_"Gomen, my Lord! But, the miko-! She said you two had-! Gomen!" She cried, tears once again pooling in her eyes. "Please forgive me!"_

_He looked down at her pitiful form with disgust. He released her wrists and pulled back to sit upright at the table. "This Sesshoumaru will _never_ mate with a human."_

_She gasped at his words, her hand going to her heart as she sat up. He would never mate a human? But…she was human. Did that mean he had no intention of mating with her? She bit down on her lip as she stood and fixed her kimono. "I will leave you to your tea, my Lord…" She breathed before bowing low and hurrying from the room._

Sesshoumaru removed his hand from his head and felt his jaw clench in irritation. After that day, the rumors spread like a wild fire. Different variations of his and the miko's encounter filled the halls, none true. He had meant to talk to the miko that day, but had been confronted by Ryura first. He recalled what had happened, but admitted that he had not been listening to the whole conversation since he and Jura were outside and only sensed Sara's hostility from the start. He had advised him to request Ayame's perspective.

_The wolf grinned at Sesshoumaru's question. It had been the next day from the initial meeting, but she remembered it as clear as day. "What, exactly, are you asking about that day?"_

_He met her emerald gaze. "What happened?" He repeated. "I wish to know the entire exchange."_

_"I will not recall verbatim," She warned. "But I will say that your intended was very rude to Kagome-san from the start. She barely had a chance to sit down before Sara-hime attacked her with her claws out."_

_"What words were said?" Rude was a very loose term. What some would call rude, others would call the truth._

_The wolf pursed her lips together in thought. "Let's see…she called her a 'thing' to start with after her guard man-handled her to start. She made a big deal about you helping her, then she belittled her for being late, and pretty much called her disgusting." She recalled and then looked at him. "The miko ignored her for a while, but I do not blame her for finally lashing out."_

_Hn, he had not heard of this side of the story; it did not surprise him. "That is when she declared that we had mated?"_

_The wolf snorted. "She did not say those words exactly. She said something about you spending three nights together. And, she only said that because Sara-hime starting calling her a whore and demanded Kagome-san tell her of your guys' relationship." _

_Sesshoumaru could see how Sara mistook the miko's words, but he had no doubt the miko wanted her to take them the way she did. Ugh, females. Why must they always be at each other throats? "I see." He mused. _

_"If you do not believe me, or need more proof, ask the three servants who were in the room." _

Sesshoumaru did as such and received the same feedback. Both females were at fault, he decided; Sara for starting it and the miko for ending it and turning it into what it was now. He needed to speak to them both and clear his halls of the ridiculous gossip. He felt as if he was a sire trying to handle his bickering pups. His eyes narrowed at the thought; this was another reason why he did not want any.


	15. The Sit Down

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Fifteen: The Sit Down

Sesshoumaru looked over at his shoji door when a gentle knock was tapped against it. "Enter," He called out and watched as the miko slid open the door. "Sit."

Kagome glanced at him briefly with her sapphire blue eyes before looking down at the ground as she walked over to his desk. She was definitely nervous to speak to him about the recent events. She would never admit it, especially not to him, but she was scared of Sesshoumaru. Being his ally on the battlefield was one thing, being an ill-mannered guest in his household was another.

His piercing honey eyes watched as she kneeled down across from him. Unintentionally, he noted the way the sun fell on her lima-bean green yukata, making a sharp contrast against her loose black hair. Pushing the fact aside, he focused on the matter at hand. Now that the miko was there, he would get to the bottom of the whole situation. "I assume you know why you were summoned here."

She pursed her lips together and hesitantly met his amber gaze before nodding. "I do."

There was a pregnant pause, each waiting for the other to say something first.

Sesshoumaru's brows slanted down in irritation. "Have you nothing to say for yourself?"

She shrugged. "There is not much I can say in my defense, Sesshoumaru. By now, I am sure your mate has told you everything."

"Intended," He automatically corrected, ignoring for the moment that she did not address him with his proper title once again. "And I have been told by several others of the events that have transpired between you and Asano-hime."

Kagome let out a soft sigh. "I said something to your mate about us spending time together. She took it the wrong way, but I _might_ have meant for her to."

"She is my _intended_, not my mate." He repeated, eyes narrowing. "And I know very well that you meant for her to. Do you understand the chaos you have created by your thoughtless words?"

She looked down guiltily. "Oh, yes. Trust me, I do." She murmured. She was feeling the full force of it from the constant whispers and accusations.

"You have tarnished my reputation, Miko. This Sesshoumaru is actually being perceived as one who is bedding a human; a _miko_ nonetheless." He felt his eye twitch ever so slightly at the mere idea of it.

She felt her anger prick slightly at the way he used her title. He sounded just like his intended as disgust laced the word. "You are not the only one being affected by this," She began. "I am being called a harlot for Kami sake!"

He did not appreciate the way her tone rose in anger. "And of whose fault is that? You must now bare your consequences. However, it is most displeasing that you had to drag This Sesshoumaru's status down with you."

"E-excuse me?" She stammered, not believing his words. "I know this is my entire fault, Sesshoumaru, and I apologize for my brash decision, but I do not appreciate being spoken to this way!"

He growled as she raised her voice at him once again. "And I do not appreciate having to handle with the repercussions of your actions." He replied icily. "You do not understand the gravity of what you have done. The rumors have spread to the Northern lord and now our fragile treaty is at risk because of your foolishness!" It was true. Now the lord was demanding the Mating become official and soon. It angered Sesshoumaru as he was planning to delay the Mating as long as possible.

Kagome felt her subtle anger simmer heatedly. "What do you want me to say?!" She snapped, slamming her hands down on the table as she sat up from her folded legs. "I said I was sorry!" Woah, why was she so angry?

At her action, he flared his youki in warning. "Do not test me, Miko."

The brush of his youki sent the hair on the back of neck on edge, goose bumps now covering her skin. Without her permission, and much to her shock, a snap of reiki bolted out towards the youkai and impaled him in the shoulder. Her eyes widened at what had just happened. "Sess-"

Before she could finish, he lurched across the small table and grabbed the miko by her frail neck. He forced her back against the floor, pressing hard on her throat. "You have crossed the line, Miko." He growled low.

"I-I didn't mean to…I do not know what happened, Sesshoumaru. Really, I-" She choked suddenly when he tightened his hold, his claws prickling at her skin.

"It is Sesshoumaru-_sama_ to you, Miko. You are beneath me and will start to act as such!" Despite his iron self-control, he was letting his anger get the best of him.

Again her anger sparked and reacted with another jolt of her reiki. "You shouldn't think so highly of yourself, Sesshoumaru, it's unbecoming of a _Lord_," She snapped. "As I have stated countless times, I do not serve you thus you have no control over me. I do as I please!" What was with her snapping lately? She had never been so easily angered.

He let his claws sink into her tender, soft flesh, his poison threatening to leak as his youki swirled around him. "Not while you are in my kingdom!" He snarled, baring his fangs down at the tiny miko under him as another growl rumbled deep in her chest.

She felt the biting pain of his sharp talons in her neck, but tried to ignore it as she continued to fight with the taiyoukai. "Then I will leave! The West holds no value to me!" Why couldn't she reel back her anger?

With a vicious snarl, his youki pulsed, she had insulted to not just him, but his lands too. Without consciously doing so, a few drops of his poison seeped into her flesh. "And I recede my previous statement of your value to the West. You are just a nuisance." He growled and forced himself to unlatch his claws from her neck.

She choked as he did and quickly scrambled away from him before standing up. She brushed off her yukata as she firmly spoke, "Well, I will be gathering my belongings and then leaving."

"That is wise," He commented and watched her head towards the door. "The next time you choose to demolish whatever status you have, try not to involve others."

She turned up her nose at his comment and headed for the door, not bothering to give him a respectful bow or glance his way as she left his study.

Sesshoumaru, fuming from irritation at the blatant disrespect, glared at her until the door slammed shut and blocked her from his view. With a loud snarl, he slammed his fist down on the wooden table, making it crack beneath the unrelenting pressure.

Why was she so infuriating to him? When he had decided to confront the miko, he did not intend for it to take such drastic turn for the worse. Indeed, he sensed she had not meant to let her power slip and knew she spoke true when she said she didn't mean to. But, her previous outbursts combined with the reiki and her anger pushed him over the edge. But, why?

**_She did not submit._**

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed at his beast's thought. _Your point?_

Another wave of agitation hit the taiyoukai when he did not get a response. Why was everyone irritating him as of late?

*~~~SSS~~~*

"Ah, Kagome-sama, you have returned," Ryura said as he saw the miko heading down the hall towards her room. As she neared, his eyes took in her stiff posture and clenched jaw. "Kagome-sama?" He asked and then blinked when he smelt her blood. He was going to ask what happened, but stopped when she slammed her shoji door shut behind her.

She ignored her guard as she stormed into her room and began to undress her yukata. When she heard someone open her door, she glanced over her shoulder to see Eri. "Eri-chan," She greeted blandly and all but threw her dress on the floor. She then began to dress in the battle attire that she had arrived in.

"Kagome-chan," The girl spoke softly at the harsh demeanor of her friend. She gasped when she saw the small stream of blood making its way down the miko's neck. "Are you okay?!"

"No!" The miko replied coldly. She sighed as she realized she was being unfair. "Gomen, Eri-chan. I do not mean to take my anger out on you."

"It is okay, Kagome-chan," Eri waited until the miko was done getting ready and opened the door for Ryura to come in. "Ryura-sama, she's bleeding!" She cried, panic in her tone.

"I'm fine." She insisted and slid her armor onto place.

The dragon youkai made his way over to the miko and stilled her shaking hands as she tried to tie the straps of her armor. "Kagome-sama, you are obviously upset about something. What happened between you and our Lord?"

The miko felt her chest began to heave as she recalled the meeting. "Well, Ryura-san, he decided to _bite_."

He furrowed his brow. "He attacked you?"

"He was provoked," She admitted, furrowing her brow as her hands began to tingle in his. Was it just because of his youki? "I got upset at the way he was speaking to me."

"For Sesshoumaru-sama to raise his voice at you is one thing," He commented and gently put one of his hands on her face, using it to turn her head so he could see the five puncture holes in her neck. "Getting him to attack you is quite remarkable."

Kagome looked up at Ryura and furrowed her brow when she barely felt his pressure on her face. Was he just grabbing it gently, or was her face starting to go numb like her hands?

"Hai, you must have really made him mad." Eri responded as she went to the wardrobe to pull out fresh bandages. Jinenji had told her to keep a fresh stock there so she could change them every day.

"Is it bad that I don't quite know why it turned the way it did," She said, suddenly feeling like she was talking really slow. "I just know I was getting mad at what he was saying to me."

Ryura lifted a brow when the miko began to slur her words a bit. "What did he say to you?" He asked, looking down into her sapphire blue eyes as they began to glaze over. When he didn't get an immediate response, he repeated the question.

"He said," Kagome paused as she felt her whole body begin to feel super heavy. Her knees began to shake from the pressure of her weight, but she forced herself to remain upright. She looked up at Ryura and blinked slowly when she realized she was saying something to him. "What was…the question?"

His crimson eyes sharpened at the sudden mood change in the miko. He watched with curiosity and slight worry as the color drained from her face, her body beginning to sway in front of him. He put his clawed hand out on her should to stabilize her, but as soon as he made contact with her, her body slumped to the floor. "Go get Jinenji!" He shouted at Eri as she shrieked in fear.

"H-hai!" She stammered before bolting out of the room to get the healer.

Ryura lifted the miko and put her down on the futon. "Kagome-sama, can you hear me?"

Her eyes rolled around in their sockets for a moment before focusing on him. Why couldn't she control herself? She couldn't stop herself from falling and could barely feel Ryura's arms around her when he picked her up. She made out his words, but couldn't form any of her own. Her tongue felt swollen and heavy like her body. Instead, she focused her energy on nodding.

"Can you feel this?" He asked as he grasped her hand and gave it a firm squeeze. When she looked at him as if she were waiting for him to do something, he got his answer. He hovered over her and bent down close to her, placing his cheek against hers as his nose brushed against the nape of her neck. He inhaled deeply and felt his jaw tighten at her wonderful minty scent that was mixed with her tangy blood. But, through the bliss that was her, he could smell the toxic of his lord's poison.

"Damn," He cursed and pressed his pointed ear against her chest to listen to her heartbeat. It was definitely not a normal rhythm for a human. Jinenji wouldn't able to help her, he realized; he would have to get Sesshoumaru to cure his own poison. "Hang in there, Kagome-sama. I will be back." He said to her before he rose back onto his feet and hastily left her room before heading towards Sesshoumaru's quarters.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Sesshoumaru's lip lifted up into a snarl when he heard a rapping on his bedroom door. His scent told him it was his intended and he felt his hand tighten on his tea cup. Could he not have any silence to himself? Was he not entitled to peace and quiet?

"Enter," He called despite his irritation. He had been quite distant to her as of late. And he knew it would not serve him well to ignore her and send her crying back to her father. He glanced over his shoulder and watched as she elegantly strode into his chambers. "Sara-hime." He said in greeting.

"My Lord," She replied and bowed low to him. She waited until he let out a soft grunt before standing up straight again. "May I join you, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

_'**No**,'_ His beast growled, but Sesshoumaru ignored him and gestured for her to take a seat.

She tucked her knees beneath her seamlessly, her kimono folding perfectly around her body as she did. "I have not seen you as of late. How do you fair, milord?"

"Well," He responded and then sipped at his tea. "I have conversed with the miko," He heard her suck in a breath and could only assume she knew he had the entire story. "We have decided it would be best if she left the West."

Sara blinked before beaming brightly. She moved over so that she was sitting next to him and gently grasped his warm hand within her cold one. "This has made me very happy, Sesshoumaru-sama. The West does not need her. We only need a strong ruler such as yourself."

He nodded once in agreement as he glanced down at their hands. Her hands were cold against his warm flesh and they were just a little bit smaller than his. He let his eyes meet her gaze as he studied her face. She wasn't unfortunate looking, no. She had an angular face and grey colored eyes. Perhaps it wouldn't be too horrible to have her as a mate. After all, he didn't have much a choice, did he?

"Sesshoumaru-sama," She began, unaware of his thoughts. "It has come to my attention that my father has sent you a letter about our Mating…" She blushed at the mentioning of it. She knew her father wanted the peace treaty set in stone, but this was also her love life. It embarrassed her that everyone would know when she would lose her virginity.

"Speak no more of it," He said suddenly, lifting his hand to place it on her cheek.

She inhaled sharply again, her face turning redder beneath her face paint. "M-my Lord?" She stammered, her heart drumming hard in her chest as he pushed her back against the floor, him hovering over her.

"Is that what you truly desire, Sara-hime?" He almost purred in her ear, his lips brushing against the shell of it. "To be Mated?"

She felt her chest grow hot and her stomach knotted in desire as she felt his hot breath on her ear. She nodded and tilted her head towards his. "Very much so, Sesshoumaru-sama." She breathed. When he lifted his head slightly and captured her lips roughly with his own, her felt her womanhood grow slick with longing. She responded in full, but dared not touch the alpha male. She was his to do his bidding.

He quickly ended the kiss, not finding it desirable at all, and made his way down her neck with his tongue. He tugged at her kimono, making it part slightly to reveal her collar bones and the swells of her breasts. He fondled one of her breasts and nuzzled the soft skin of the other before pushing the silk fabric aside to run his tongue over the nipple. Like the skin on her neck, it was almost the consistency of rice paper. The taste was bland and dry; it did nothing for his flaccidness.

**'_I do not approve._**_'_ He beast growled.

Sara, however, did. She moaned at the feeling of his tongue on her hardened flesh and the slight pressure from his hand. She closed her eyes and arched into his touch, wanting more of him all over her. "I have loved you since I first laid eyes upon you." She murmured.

He heard her lust-filled confession, but ignored it as he attempted to rile his beast as well as his manhood. All he needed was to mate this woman and much stress would be relieved from him. This was how it was supposed to be, was it not? His father had put him in this situation and it had been planned for centuries. Why not get it over with now?

He ran his claws down her kimono until he got to her obi. He rid her body of it and opened it to reveal her entire form to him. He lightly ran his claws down her body, but did not actually touch her flesh with his fingertips. He neared her core and almost reeled back in disgust. Even the scent of her womanhood was unappealing. Were all humans this…repulsive?

"My Lord?" She breathed as she saw him move. "Is everything alright?" She couldn't believe this was finally going to happen to her! Her true love was going to make love to her!

He did not reply. He was too busy trying to imagine something to arouse him. He moved his finger in between her legs and let his middle finger give her a single stroke up to her swollen bud. When she arched her back again, causing her breasts to bounce, be felt his appendage twitch slightly, but not much more. Frustrated that his body was not listening to him, he moved back to her large breasts and then back to her neck. Perhaps he would just mark her for now and save the physical part for later.

Sesshoumaru bared his fangs and prepared to bite down on her neck. _This was how it was meant to be_, he told himself again. Fate had predestined it for him, no? As he moved to close his jaws, he heard a hard knocking on his door. He stopped and pulled back from her neck, waiting for the person to state their business.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, my apologies for interrupting your peace," Ryura said from behind the door. "But the miko…she suffers from your poison."

Poison? Why would the miko be suffering from his poison? His eyes narrowed slightly when he remembered when he had slipped up in his impeccable self-control. He must have released some without realizing it. Still, of whose fault was that? Hers, once again. "I care not, Ryura, it is of her own fault. Leave me."

Ryura clenched his jaw at his lord's stubbornness. "It would not look well if the miko died by the West's hand after saving so many of its soldiers." He smirked at his cleverness. He knew he taiyoukai would always chose honor over selfishness.

He glared at the door as he weighed the guard's words. Naturally, he was correct. He removed himself from Sara and stood. "Make your self presentable for I am leaving." He demanded as he fixed his own haori so that it was smoothed to perfection.

Sara stared at him in shock. He couldn't be serious! Was he really going to abandon her in such a state because the miko was _sick_? "B-but, Sesshoumaru-sama-"

"I will not repeat myself. Make sure you are gone by the time I return." He responded as he slid open the shoji door and shut it behind him, leaving Sara with tear filled eyes.


	16. Not Your Average Miko

**A/N: OH-EM-GEE! The LOVELY Miss NicoRavenPen has drawn a fanart for The Sword Smith's Secret! Please, go check it out and hive her the credit she deserves!**

** gallery?func=detail&id=8823**

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Sixteen: Not Your Average Miko

Ryura stood outside his lord's room, his ears faintly picking up the sound of rustling silk. Had his lord mated with Sara-hime finally? He let a huff of air escape his lips in a mutual sigh. Perhaps it was best if he had. The alliance with the North would finally be secure and they would have access to their military supplies. Also, maybe it would cease the rumors of the miko and her lord and encourage her to stay and help aid them in the war. As stubborn as his lord may be, Ryura suspected he knew that having the miko on the West's side was a much needed advantage.

Sesshoumaru exited his room and slid his shoji door shut before he looked at Ryura with unreadable amber eyes. "Where is the miko?" He asked, annoyance laced within his clipped words.

The dragon bowed to his lord, saving his thoughts for later. "She is in her temporary chambers." He responded and walked five steps behind his lord as they made their way to her room. "She must have angered you greatly for you to attack her."

The taiyoukai narrowed his eyes at the reminder of his poor choice. "I was provoked." He answered, chiding himself for providing an unnecessary excuse. He had no reason to explain himself, especially to his guard.

Ryura let out a short laugh. "Funny, she had said the same thing, that she had _provoked_ you," He glanced at the inuyoukai in front of him. "Still, it is odd that she could do so to begin with. I wonder, what could have possibly been said to break through the Western Lord's self-control?"

"I do not have to explain myself to you," He growled in response.

A smirk tugged at the dragon youkai's lips. "Hai, hai," He agreed and stayed quiet until they approached the miko's room. "When I left her last, she could not feel anything. I fear your poison has spread far." He commented as Sesshoumaru slid open the door.

The Western Lord took in the unconscious miko and the way her chest rose slowly. His eyes narrowed disapprovingly; both at his slip up and at the miko for being so…_human_. He approached her futon and kneeled down beside it. He could smell the faint scent of sweat come from her as her body tried to fight off his poison. He lowered his head slightly to inspect the puncture wounds on her neck. He tsk'ed impatiently at the black tint of her skin before he ran the pad of his thumb across his tongue. He then swiped it over one of the puncture holes.

Much to the surprise of both Sesshoumaru and Ryura, she lurched up into a sitting position, blinking tiredly.

"What?" She murmured sleepily. She brought the palm of her hands to her eyes and began to rub at them, trying to rid them of the sleep. She stretched out her arms to each side and then up before resting them back down. She blinked when she saw Sesshoumaru kneeling next to her bed, Ryura standing behind him. "What happened? Is everything okay?"

"Kagome-sama?" It was Ryura who spoke uncertainly. He kneeled down next to Sesshoumaru and reached out to take her hand in his before giving it a soft squeeze. "Can you feel that?" When she squeezed back, he stared at her incredulously. He was not gone for more than ten minutes! How had her condition changed so quickly?

"Hai," She replied, furrowing her brow. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

"Do you not recall being sick?" Ryura asked, tilting his head slightly.

Kagome nodded. "Hai. My body felt heavy and numb, but I thought maybe I was just tired. I feel much better after sleeping."

He shook his head. "When Sesshoumaru-sama attacked you-"

"He did not attack me per say…" She mumbled and glanced at the taiyoukai sitting next to her. Already, she was feeling regrets about her outburst.

"Regardless, it seems my poison did not affect you as much as I was told," Sesshoumaru commented as he rose to his feet, staring down at her on the futon. How could this be? He poison was absolutely deadly; it had killed lesser youkai with a lesser dose. Yet, this human, this _miko_, had survived after such a small amount?

'**_She is immune to our poison_**,' His beast almost purred within him.

His eyes narrowed into slits. '_I highly doubt that_,' He retorted. '_I must have been mistaken in how much I gave her._'

'**_You are not mistaken_**,' His tone made Sesshoumaru think that it was smirking at him. '**_You supplied her with a lethal dose, yet alive she remains. She is very different, this miko. I wish to know more about this onna._**'

'_Push it from your mind, Beast. She is nothing to This Sesshoumaru_.' He felt his lip curl up in distaste and then relaxed it back down when he heard the miko speak to him.

"You do not have to," She breathed, looking away from the youkai. She had asked him to stay and speak with her, but his glare and snarl gave her the answer she needed. "Never mind."

Ryura glanced at the slight twinge of confusion behind his lord's eyes. He rose to his feet and looked at Kagome. "I will leave you two to talk then. I am sure Sesshoumaru-sama does not, in fact, mind." He said sternly, trying to recall to his lord what the priestess had asked of him.

Sesshoumaru's moment of brief confusion disappeared and he looked down at the miko once more once Ryura left. What did she wish to talk to him about? Did she want to throw more insults his way? Perhaps try to purify him for good this time?

"Gomen, Sesshoumaru," Her eyes widened slightly and she fisted the fabric of her hakama in her hands. "Sesshoumaru-_sama_." She corrected.

His jaw clenched slightly. Since the moment he met the little miko, he had demanded she call him by his proper title. But, now that she had done so, it left a bitter ring in his ears. Why? Was this not what he wanted?

When he did not say anything in return, she sighed softly and pushed her bangs back from her forehead. She rose to her feet and lifted her hands to tie the straps of her armor once again. "I do not blame you for not accepting my apology," She mumbled as she switched to the other shoulder tie. "But I feel better after giving you one."

His brow lifted in question. "And why is that, Miko?"

She met his amber gaze after securing her armor. "Because I let my anger get the better of me. I am usually more collected than that," She pursed her lips together. "It is odd, really. I have felt my anger spike many times since the battle. I wonder why…" She mused to herself before picking up her sword and sliding it into her obi. "Anyways," She began and then offered him a small smile. "You were right in your accusations. It is entirely my fault and I will take the blame with me as I leave."

The taiyoukai watched as she began to walk towards the door. She was taking the entire fault when they both knew it was Sara's fault to begin with. Why? Surely she knew she would not be opposed if she were to stand up for herself when many had witnessed the event. "Why do you take the blame?" He asked, watching her as she reached for the shoji door.

She froze and pondered his words. She then turned to look at him once again, blue meeting gold. "There is no point in me denying it and stirring up any more drama by pointing fingers, Sesshoumaru-sama," She gave him a warm smile. "It is best if I take it all with me so that your kingdom will no longer be in turmoil. I know that I was defending myself, though I believe my word choice was incorrect. Still, I have no regrets except leaving on bad terms with you."

He studied her carefully, looking into her eyes for any glimmer of deceit or ulterior motives, but there was none. How could one little human be so insightful? So selfless? Internally sighing, he knew he would have to swallow his pride. "There will be no hostility between us, Miko," He began. "I too must admit that my anger got the better of my senses."

Her smile widened at his words. "I am glad to hear we will be leaving on good terms, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

He let his brows slant down in irritation. "Call me as you wish, Miko. I hold no control over your actions."

She blinked and then let out a soft laugh. "Good because I really can't keep calling you 'sama'. No offense, it just seems too formal." She held out her hand to him. "I hope the West triumphs in this war, Sesshoumaru. I lied when I said it held no value to me; I have come to grow fond of it within these last few days, despite the rumors."

Sesshoumaru reached out his clawed hand and grasped her small, warm hand. "The West will still hold your favor." He nodded to her.

She flashed him another bright smile. "And if you ask it of me, I will help you if I can." She responded and gave their hands a shake. "Even in battle." She added with a wink and released his hand.

He let his hand fall to his side. "The battle field is no place for a woman." He chastised.

She rolled her eyes. "And a youkai war is not place for a human." She added and then shrugged. "You should know by now that I don't listen."

"Indeed." He agreed and then followed her from the room. He would not see her off, no, but he did need to get to his own study.

"Then I would stop telling me things like that." Kagome smiled at him a final time before she turned to walk down the corridor. "Enjoy the sword I made you, Sesshoumaru!" She called over her shoulder.

His eyes widened slightly as her words settled in. She made his sword? Not Totosai?

'**_It seems she is much more valuable than just a human,_**_' His_ beast began_. '**But you already knew that.**_'

'_Why must you continue to speak about her?_' Sesshoumaru asked. His beast was beginning to annoy him.

'**_Because she has perked my interest,_**' He responded. '**_Not only is she unsusceptible to our poison, but can she create a powerful sword and can also heal the wounded._** **_How are you _not_ interested?_**'

'_Leave me be, Beast; I have work to do._' He growled and began to make his way to his office.

'**_I will leave you for now. But I hope we encounter the miko again soon_**.' He retorted and settled back into the abyss of Sesshoumaru's being.

*~~~SSS~~~*

"Kagome-chan!" Eri called, running after her with Ryura close behind. When the miko stopped at her voice, the other girl bear hugged her tightly.

"Eri-san, you must refer to your lady as appropriate." Ryura scolded gently.

"No, no, it is fine, Ryura-san. I prefer it this way," Kagome smiled as she hugged the girl back. She then pulled away and looked at her friend. "Eri-chan, what's wrong?"

"What are _you_ doing? You cannot leave!" The girl cried, a frown marring her face. "We love having you here! Do not let our lord's words force you away!"

She shook her head. "Sesshoumaru and I are fine. We talked about what happened and agreed to not leave on bad terms," When Eri opened her mouth to respond, she continued. "I am leaving because I must return home. I have my own responsibilities and work to do."

The girl pouted and hugged her friend once again. "Okay, but please come back soon to visit!"

Kagome smiled again. "I will."

"Good! Well, I have to return to my chores. Please, do not be a stranger! I will send you a message!" Eri said happily and then turned to run back into the castle.

She watched her go with a smile and then looked at the dragon youkai. "Well, sayonara, Ryura-san."

"So, everything is truly fine between you and our lord?" Ryura asked suddenly.

She blinked before nodding. "Hai. I told him I would help in the war if he asked for it."

He approached her side and gestured for her to walk. "I shall accompany you on your way home," he said as a side remark and then continued on with their previous topic. "You should know that he does not ask for help."

Not wanting to be rude by turning down his generous offer, she nodded. As they walked, she looked up at him. He stared at her with a smirk, causing her to blush under his gaze and turn away from him, suddenly nervous under those crimson pools. "H-hai, Ryura-san. But, perhaps if his lands were at stake then he will swallow his pride and ask."

His smirk widened at her blush, but he chose not to comment on it. "Perhaps you are right. I suppose we can only help. Your skills are very useful, Kagome-sama."

She smiled at his compliment. "Arigato, Ryura-san." She replied and felt her heart hammer in her chest when he moved to stand closer to her as they ventured towards her home.

Oh, this was going to be a long trip.

*~~~SSS~~~*

A lone figure sat back against an opened shoji door, the patio opened towards an ominous scene of a black swamp-like lake. All plant life surrounding the shore was dead, branches brittle from lack of nutrients. The once green grass was a pale yellow-brown; the once tickling blades were now sharp and caustic. Crows and ravens fought with one another, clawing and pecking at the carcass of a formerly lively squirrel. The several corpses that scattered his yard were now full of maggots and flies while the stray fox and coyote gnawed at the skeleton's bones.

To Naraku, the chaos was beautiful.

The vision of _death_ was almost arousing.

Hearing the sound of a hesitant knock on his door, he forced his blood colored eyes away from the delightful scene and turned them towards the black shoji screen door. "Enter." He commanded and watched as his two human soldiers ventured in. They kept their heads bowed low, their shoulders and back tense with fear, dread, and a dangerous dose of hatred.

'_Mmm, hatred,_' The hanyou thought to himself. '_What a delicious smell. Yet still, fear is the most delectable smell of them all._' He pleasured himself to the mere idea of fear; to the helpless expression on the face of the person and the way their scent spiked sourly when they knew their death was but seconds away. He spilled his seed with groans of joy when their spirits left them, leaving their bodies lifeless and still.

He felt the blood rush to his manhood at the thought of it. He would have to draw a bath later and relieve himself. But for now, he hand business to attend to.

He waited for them to kneel in front of him, their pointer fingers and thumbs pressed together on the floor as they bowed to the floor, their foreheads touching the wood. "It has come to my attention that you two faced off against Sesshoumaru."

"Hai, Naraku-sama." They responded in unison.

"Yet the two of you are still alive. Interesting," He continued, looking at the brunette female. He let a twisted smirk curl his lips. "Raise your head, Sango." She did as told, the skin around her eyes tight with hatred. "How was your fight against the inuyoukai?"

"He too easily dodged my attacks, Naraku-sama." She responded quietly.

"But of course he did," He responded and then looked at the male. "And you, Miroku?"

The cursed monk raised his head, his violet eyes meeting his lord's. "I tried to use _Kazanna_ against him, but he could not be swayed. He is too strong for us, Naraku-sama."

"I do not doubt it," He rose to his feet and ventured over to the two. "However, I witnessed through Kanna's mirror how Sesshoumaru ruthlessly killed youkai and oni without a second guess. Yet, when he is opposed by two humans, he lets them live," He stopped in front of the monk and squatted down in front of him. "Do you see how I find it odd?"

Miroku paled, but tried to stay calm. "Hai, Naraku-sama. However, I think your miasma flooded the battlefield before he could harm us."

Naraku held out his hand to the monk. "Give me your hand," When Miroku went to offer his free hand, he chuckled humorlessly. "Now, now, Miroku, you should know better than that." Ah, there was a lovely spike of fear in his scent. When offered, he grabbed the monk's hand and dug the claw of his thumb into the kazanna through the holy fabric of his robe.

Miroku howled in pain as a raging fire felt as if it was coursing through his veins, up his arm, and into his chest. He felt as if he was being skinned from the inside out. In his mind, he cursed and damned the man in front of him. Him, a holy monk, had never cursed anyone in his lifetime. However, this hanyou, this…epitome of evil, had broken his resolve and promise to Buddha.

"Now, Miroku, let us try this again and with honestly," Naraku purred. "Kanna had followed Sesshoumaru to the tent before the miasma flooded. Before that, I saw a female with Sesshoumaru. She was left with you after Sesshoumaru left. Who is she?"

Miroku sucked in a pained breath through clenched teeth. "I do not know! There were two of us and one of her. We thought we would go easy on her and let her live…AH!" He shouted when Naraku dug deeper into his wind void.

"Hoshi-sama!" Sango cried and then reeled back when Naraku shot her a deathly glare.

"Do not lie to me, Monk!" He hissed.

"It is the truth!" He growled out through his pain.

Naraku's eyes narrowed on him before another devilish smirk titled his lips. "Hmm, well, then I suppose it can't be helped," He said and withdrew a black dagger from his hakama. "You shall be punished for letting an enemy live."

"W-wait!" Miroku stammered helplessly. "She was not part of the West! She is human, a human! Not youkai!"

"It does not matter!" Naraku hissed. "If they fight against us or for our enemy, then they must be eliminated!" He fixed his grip on the blade and began to slash it down towards the monk's hand.

"NO! Wait!" Sango cried out desperately. "Her name is Kagome!"

Naraku froze and let a smirk briefly flash through his features before they turned neutral again. He turned towards her. "Oh? And who is this Kagome?"

She panicked for a moment, but knew she had already dug her grave. "S-she is a human who fights with Sesshoumaru," When Naraku glared at her, she knew he knew that she was leaving something out. "A-and she's a miko! That is all, Naraku-sama, I swear upon my brother's life! Please release him!"

Naraku's eyes widened. "A miko, you say?"

Sango swallowed nervously and nodded. "Hai, Naraku-sama." He released the monk and Sango wasted no time in wrapping her arms around him. "Hoshi-sama, are you okay?"

"Leave," Naraku spat, yet his lips curled up into a wide grin. He watched as Sango wasted no time in ushering the monk out of the room, leaving him to himself. "A miko who fights with youkai, hmm?" He mused to himself. "How…_interesting_."


	17. Strange Behavior

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Seventeen: Strange Behavior

"Would you like more tea, Ryura-san?" The miko asked with a smile as she put a couple pinches of tea leaves in her own cup.

He nodded and let his crimson eyes roam over her person as her steady hand poured hot water into the two cups. He smiled wide, his lips parting to reveal his fangs, when she offered him his cup and took it from her, his fingers lingering on hers for a few heartbeats longer. When he released her hand, a pretty blush spread across her soft cheeks. "Arigato, Kagome-sama."

"Ryura-san," She scolded. "Please stop calling me that. How many times must I remind you?" She settled down next to him and sipped at her tea, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she did.

"Perhaps I like it when you reprimand me," The dragon replied with a smirk as he cast a side glance at her. "I also would also prefer for you to address me as something less formal. We are good friends, are we not?"

"H-hai, Ryura-_kun_," She blushed at the honorific. She had never had a male friend that she regarded as a 'close' friend. But, it wasn't just that they had grown close over the past seven night falls, it was that she had developed something a little bit more. What did her mother use to call it before she died? A _crush_? Yes, that was right. It was the only thing that could make sense for what she was feeling. The only boys she had been around before Toto-ji were the other village boys when she was younger. But back then, she had never felt anything for the boys because she was too young to understand those kind of feelings.

"That is better, Kagome-chan, is it not?" He mused, smirking again at the way she blushed. She was so easy to embarrass that he found a sort of game with it.

She pursed her lips together and nodded. When she didn't feel his eyes on her again, she glanced over at his direction and took in his appearance. He looked so much more comfortable the past few days in her home then when she had seen him at the castle. His armor was cast aside, leaving him in a dark blue haori and grey-white hakama. His steel-blue hair was unbraided and cascaded over his shoulders in slight waves.

"How is the new project coming?"

She was brought from her thoughts momentarily to answer his question. "I do not know. Toto-ji is locked up in the fabrication room. He still has not spoken to me." She frowned. "I do not understand what exactly I did." She furrowed her brow as she recalled his reaction when they had reached the cave.

_"This is where you live?" Ryura asked as they made their way into the mouth of the cave. They lived in a skeleton?_

_"Hai, hai! This is where Toto-ji brought me when I was little. I have been here since I was a mere child," She responded with a smile and led him further into the belly of the deceased youkai. _

_"I see," He responded and followed her._

_"Toto-ji! I am back!" She called out as she began to untie the straps of her armor. Once untied, she gently placed it on the floor along with her sword. "Toto-ji?"_

_"I am here," Toto-ji said as he came into the room from the side, pulling off his glasses as he did. "Ho? And who is this?" _

_"Ryura, Royal Guard of the West," He introduced himself, bowing to the sword smith. "I have heard much about you from your grandpup as well as others who have had the pleasure to bear your weapons."_

_Totosai blinked at the vast amount of compliments. "Ah, arigato. I am Totosai, as you seem to know." He nodded his head at the dragon before walking closer to his adopted granddaughter and looked her over. "How do you fair?"_

_"Well, Toto-ji! I only had a few scratches from the war," She said, putting her hands on her hips and grinning. _

_His eyes went straight to her wrist and then narrowed at the bare skin there. "Where is your bracelet?" _

_She almost flinched at his stern, cold tone. She had never heard him talk to her like that. "T-Toto-ji?" She asked softly._

_He reached out and grabbed her wrist in his bony hand. "Why is it not on you?"_

_She knitted her brows together in worry. She was not scared of him, no, but she didn't like his tone either. Why was he so mad at her? What had she done? Just because her bracelet was gone? Surely he could make her a new one? "Um, it broke when I was attacked on the battlefield." She answered._

_He let out and uncharacteristic growl and all but threw her hand away from him. "I knew I shouldn't have let you leave!" He snapped before he stormed away from her and out of the room. _

_She frowned and looked over at Ryura whose brows were raised, his expression unimpressed. "I-I do not know what just happened."_

Kagome sighed heavily and set down her tea cup. "It's been two days, Ryura-kun. What could he be doing?"

He set his down as well and met her deep blue eyes. "I believe he is making you another bracelet."

She removed her legs from under her and then brought them to her chest before she wrapped her arms around them. She placed her chin on her knees and gazed at the fire in front of her. "But, why? Why was it such a big deal? Was it somehow marking me as his pack? Youkai do that, do they not?"

He continued to look at her face, defeat and worry etched into it. It unnerved him. "It is common, yes. Often times, we may give the person of our pack a trinket with our scent heavily mixed into it, or perhaps even our youki. However, I do not know of your bracelet for I did not see it."

She pushed her bottom lip out in a pout. "I wish I knew."

His eyes fell on the moist flesh of her lip and felt the deep desire to kiss her. Instead, he decided to answer her, "Then you should ask him."

"I would if he would just come out and speak to me," She shook her head and then jumped up in surprise when Totosai stormed out of the fabrication room and into the den, a new bracelet shining in his hand. "T-Toto-ji-"

"Give me your hand," He ordered as he moved towards her. When she quickly scrambled up and met him with her arm out, he looped the thicker chain around her wrist and brought the ends together. He puffed out his chest and pursed his lips together in an 'o' before blowing out a stream of fire onto her wrist. He ignored her as she sucked in a painful hiss.

He would not let this thing break off of her ever again. It _could_ not. It would not bode well for anyone. How could he make her understand the gravity of the situation without telling her? He could not. He would not subject her to the danger that came with the knowledge. No, he had to make it so that it never left her skin again.

Tears welled in her eyes at the searing pain on her wrist. She closed her eyes tightly, colors of white and red flashing behind her eyelids as the pain intensified the longer the flame was on her wrist. She felt as if her wrist had been stabbed with an icicle before her skin was ripped away from her muscle and bone. "T-Totosai!" She cried.

Ryura leapt to his feet and put his hand on the small of Kagome's back before placing his hand on Totosai's shoulder and giving him a firm shove away from the miko. "I believe that is enough."

Totosai blinked and shut his mouth, the stream of fire stopping. He looked at Kagome's blistering, burned wrist and frowned. How could he have so easily forgotten how human she was? Even as regret filled him, he still spoke sternly. "You, dragon, if you care for her in the slightest, you will make sure that never comes off of her."

Ryura narrowed his eyes slightly. "And if I do not?"

"Then this pain is nothing in comparison to that which may come." He replied shortly and then looked at the trembling miko. "It is for your own good." He added before turning and retreating to his sleeping quarters.

Kagome's lip quivered as she leaned into Ryura's chest. "Why did he do that?" She breathed.

He shrugged. "I am not sure." He wrapped his arm around her and gave her a brief hug before gently grasping her wrist in his cold hand. "Do you have anything for this?" He asked.

She nodded. "I have an herb mixture for it," She stepped away from him and moved to a shelf on the wall. She shuffled through the bottles there for a second before pulling out one with a brown liquid in it. She also grabbed a roll of bandages and embarrassingly handed them to him. "Could you…?"

He smiled at her. "Of course, Kagome-chan," He said and ushered her to sit down so he could bandage her wound.

She flashed him an awkward smile as well, all the while trying to ignore the feeling that something was being pulled away from her insides.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Sesshoumaru glanced down at the two parchments that resided side by side on the smooth wood in front of him. He laced his fingers together, his nose and mouth resting against his hands as he rested his elbows on the short table. His amber eyes flickered across the first scroll.

_Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands,_

_My patience is wearing thin. You either Mate my daughter, or we will withdraw the treaty. I expect your answer in person. Prepare for my arrival within half a moon cycle._

_Asano Souske _

_Lord of the North_

He then skipped over to the other short message, his eyes quickly reading the scratch-like kanji of the hurried soldier.

_My Lord,_

_I have spied on the South for the past three night falls and have confirmed that they are indeed preparing for another attack. I would expect them in two night falls._

_H_

His spy was smart for not signing his name. If the scroll had fallen into enemy hands, he could have easily been slaughtered for treason.

The taiyoukai glanced from one threatening letter to another. He could not quite decide which of the two was more troublesome. His troops had fully recovered from the last battle over two weeks ago, but he had wanted to train them some more based on what they had witnessed on the field. Though it could still be done, he did not want to tire them either.

On the other hand, his intended's sire would be visiting in fourteen day rises. Why was he pestering him so? Was Sara complaining? He would not doubt it. He had strayed from her side since the miko had left seven days ago. The mere memories of the taste of her skin and the scent of her arousal made his skin crawl, his member shrinking in distaste.

'**_But, oh, did the miko smell delightful_**. **_That scent…_**' His beast purred. '**_And the taste of her blood was delectable_**.'

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. The taste of her blood had been an accident. He had forgotten he had used his thumb to place his saliva on her wound, thus transferring her blood to the pad of it. He had placed his chin in his fingers and when he was removing them from it, he had grazed his lip with his thumb. He subconsciously licked it, thus tasting the miko's blood.

'**_It was something we had never tasted before_**,' The beast added. '**_So…pure. It was sweet and hot. The small amount of reiki burned our tongue most sensually_**.'

Ever since the miko came around, his beast had not receded. Instead, he grew more vocal in her absence. Why was he so drawn to her? He did not understand. Did he not see how dangerous it was to be drawn to the miko? She was the complete opposite of their being, the pure to their evil. They did not belong in the same dwelling, let alone bed.

'**_Oh, yes. How it would be to rut with her_**,' It grinned inside. '**_Think of it. Picture the way her small, virginal body would wriggle beneath us as we took her innocence away from her. Those perfect sized breasts bouncing wildly from our thrusts. The way her song-like voice would scream out our name in pleasure_**.'

Sesshoumaru growled as, much to his dismay, his manhood grew as the blood rushed to it. He would not let his beast win, no. 'You have not seen her breasts so you cannot say as such. Her voice is very annoying to this This Sesshoumaru especially when she was shouting at me.'

The beast snorted. '**_No, she was arousing with her stubbornness. She would not submit. She is a challenge that we should eagerly accept. We should make her ours before the dragon does as such_**.'

'She is not ours to stake claim. I do not wish to rut with a human! Plus, I am promised to Sara,' He smirked when his beast growled in dismay.

'**_I will never allow you to mark such a weak creature,' _**His beast barked and then decided to get a bit of his own revenge.**_ 'Do you think she would respond the same way the miko would in bed? I bet the miko would be passionate yet shy. We would have to show her hands how to pleasure us and guide her small mouth onto our_**-'

'Enough!'

'**_As her tongue lapped at the head and shaft. Perhaps she will even take a part of our sac into her mouth as we tugged on her hair, making her look at us with those innocent, wide blue eyes of hers_**.'

'Beast!' Sesshoumaru warned, heat pooling down to his nether regions. He could not believe he was getting aroused by the thought of the miko relieving him with her mouth.

'**_We will shoot our seed into her mouth and make her swallow it. I can imagine it now, that little pink tongue of hers slipping out past her lips to lick up the remaining traces of our essence_**.'

Sesshoumaru groaned as his erection became slightly unbearable. He needed to find one of his concubines and fast. He stood from his desk, nearly knocking it over in the process and used his speed to leave the room in search of relief. However, he stopped when Sara turned and walked down the hall he was headed down.

He smirked with cruel intentions and quickly strode towards her. When he was close enough, he pressed is lips to hers in a forced kiss. When she gasped in surprise, his allowed his tongue to move in and rub against hers. He then pulled back, a strand of saliva momentarily connecting them still, much to his disgust, until he wrapped his clawed hand around her arm and began tugging her into the closest room, not caring which one it was.

"M-milord?" She whispered breathlessly as he pushed her back against the tatami mats.

'**_Do not rut with her_**!' His beast growled in rage. '**_Do not_**!'

'Perhaps I shall show you who is in control, beast! If you continue to show me such images, then I will do what displeases you most.' He retorted as he began to rip the several layers of kimono off of her. By the time he was on her last layer, the scent of her arousal drifted up into his nose. At least she was ready for him.

He did not bother undressing; he simply adjusted his hakama enough so that he could be freed from its confinement. He lifted her legs so they were bent at an angle and spread them apart. His nose twitched in dismay at the scent of her arousal, but he ignored it.

This was going to be a decent thing. Not only would he get Sara off his back and perhaps delay the arrival of her father, but he would be shutting his beast up as well as relieving himself of the current stress he held.

He looked down at his intended and let his honey orbs take in the desire and love in her face. Her chest was flushed with desire and need as her hands reached up to cup his face. Just because he was using her to relieve himself didn't mean she had the privilege to touch him.

**[[The Lemon can be read at the link on my profile. Sorry guys! This is 's rule!]]**

Sara smiled tiredly and ran her hands down her body, all but rubbing his juices into her skin. She had not reached her climax with him, but it did not matter. They had finally mated and the mere reality of it had her giggling. "Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama," She shuddered in pleasure and sat up. "You are amazing."

"Hn." He replied and smoothed the wrinkles in his haori as he stood. He ran his claws through his silky white hair and then turned towards the door to leave. He did not cast a glance towards her as he left.

No, instead he relished in the quiet of his mind now that his beast had finally gone back into its dormant state.

**A/N: I swear this is Sess/Kag story XD**


	18. Return to the West

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Eighteen: Return to the West

Kagome watched with solemn sapphire eyes as the dragon guard began to pull his armor on, his large hands skillfully tying his straps into place. He placed his sword in the obi that secured his armor around his waist and then began to fuss with his blue-grey hair. Giving a small smile, she walked over to stand behind him and took his thick hair into her hands.

"Let me." She said softly as she began to braid his hair.

Ryura let a smile tilt up his lips and he felt the blue fire in the pit of his stomach flare at the feeling of her fingers running through his hair. "Arigato, Kagome-chan." He said once she was done. He lifted a brow when she draped his thick braid over his shoulder, revealing the sapphire ribbon that was tied at the base.

She let out a giggle. "Something to remind you of me."

He met her gaze. "You make it sound as if I will not see you again."

Her cheeks stained a pretty pink and she glanced away. "I was not sure if-"

"Shh, Kagome-chan," He smiled and put his hand to her cheek. "I immensely enjoyed the past week with you. It saddens me to know you will not be accompanying me."

The assistant pursed her lips together. "After what happened last time, I don't think it is wise for me to visit the West with you."

"I am not visiting," Ryura countered. "Since another battle is coming, I must help guard the Western Palace. That is my job, after all."

She let a soft sigh escape her lips as she nodded in understanding. "'Because no one else will be there to protect the West'," She quoted him from earlier. "I understand."

He shifted closer to her and grasped her hand within his. "Then come with me. Even Sesshoumaru said that you still held the West's favor. Plus, I am sure Eri would enjoy your company once again."

"But he did not say for me to come in his letter." She retorted. The letter had been short and to the point, telling Ryura of the impending battle as well as requesting him to come back to protect the castle. "And quite frankly, I do not wish to face Sara. I do not need any more rumors or drama. I had enough for the rest of my lifetime."

Ryura let out a laugh. "Sesshoumaru will not be there, so there should not be an issue with her. So," His crimson eyes stared into hers before he moved his face in closer to hers. He brushed his lips against her soft ones and felt his chest swell when she inhaled a sharp, shaky breath. He pulled away slightly to gaze down at her flushed face. "Will you accompany me?"

She blinked, trying to snap herself out of her trance, but couldn't tear her eyes away from his lips. She had never kissed a boy before and she found herself wondering what it would be like to kiss the dragon in front of her. She bit down on her lip and let her head bob once in agreement. As soon as she did, she had her breath taken away when Ryura's lips crashed down upon hers.

He had not been able to help himself. The way she bit down on her bottom lip made heat travel to his loins and propelled him to kiss her. He kissed her with a fiery need, his lips capturing hers and moving against them eagerly. When he pulled away, her lips were slightly swollen and red while her eyes stared up at him with a glazed look.

She didn't know what to do while it was happening and so she did nothing. Was that the wrong thing to do? But, she had never been kissed! How was she supposed to know what to do? She had felt his need and it had almost made her uncomfortable, yet at the same thrilled her. Were kisses supposed to make her feel that way?

She gingerly raised her fingertips to her lips. "T-that was my first kiss…" She admitted shyly, her voice low.

He smirked in pride and then drew her into his arms. "Do not expect it to be your last." When she blushed again in his arms, he let out a chuckle and released her. "Quickly pack your things and let us leave for the West."

She nodded and stumbled away from him, her mind buzzing with confused emotions. She certainly had a lot of things to think about during her trip to the West with Ryura. She just hoped she didn't have to deal with anymore issues when she arrived.

*~~~SSS~~~*

"Inuyasha-ojisan," Rin whined as she sat down next to him on the plush green grass. "Rin is bored."

The hanyou turned away from his training troops to look at his niece. He sighed heavily and crouched down next to her. "I told you it was too dangerous for you out here, Squirt," His tone wasn't harsh. In fact, it was cool and endearing. He hand grown fond of his new pack mate and enjoyed the energy she filled the castle with. "Why don't you go back inside?"

She huffed. "There is nothing to do inside. Everyone is busy preparing for the battle and Rin feels that she is in the way."

Inuyasha put his hand on her head and ruffled her black hair. He felt sorry for her. She didn't have any other kids to play with and Sesshoumaru would not permit her to leave the grounds to play. "Things will get better after the battle." He said, though he felt bad for lying to her. He didn't know how the battle would turn out or what would happen afterwards.

She gave him a weak smile and nodded. She stood up and stretched her arms over her head. She turned to face the North as she brushed off her orange and yellow checkered kimono and let out a squeal when she saw the two figures approaching.

Inuyasha, getting startled from her squeal, jumped up as his hand leapt to the handle of Tessaiga. He blinked when she ran past him and towards the newcomers. He relaxed when he saw it was Ryura and…was that the miko? "Oi!" he called, waving his hand. He couldn't believe she had come back! This was good, very good! He just hoped no one messed it up this time.

Kagome smiled when she saw Rin running full speed towards her. "Rin-chan!" She said excitedly and nearly toppled over when the girl tackled her into a bear hug.

"Kagome-neesan! Rin is so happy you are here!" The little girl said quickly, hugging the girl tightly.

"Hai, me too!" She said and realized she meant it. Despite the drama that had happened almost a month ago, she truly enjoyed being in the West. She looked at Inuyasha when he made his way over to them. "Ohayo, Inu-kun."

She blinked when she realized that she had in fact called someone else 'kun' before. However, the term she used with Inuyasha had come naturally as they spent time together in West by helping the wounded. With Ryura, she had been embarrassed to call him it, even after he had requested it of her. She knew she considered Ryura a 'friend', but was it her crush that was preventing her from wanting to regard him with the endearment? She pursed her lips together in confusion. Why was she thinking so much into this?

"Keh, don't call me that!" The hanyou said, crossing his arms over his chest at the nickname.

"Rin likes it!" She said and then turned to Kagome. "Will you play with Rin?"

Kagome blinked as she was brought from her thoughts. "Of course," She replied as she released the girl. "Just let me get settled in and say my greetings. Okay?"

"Hai, hai!" The girl grinned widely and took Kagome's hand. "Rin will walk with you to the castle!"

"Ah, arigato!" The miko said with a smile and let the girl lead her away from the males.

Inuyasha watched them go before looking at the dragon with amused golden pools. "So, you've been gone for a while with the miko. Her scent is all over you too." He grinned, flashing his fangs at him.

Ryura met his eyes with his crimson orbs. "It has been nearly two weeks since we left the West. Of course her scent would be on me." He replied smugly. It had been a two day travel to the West at her human pace and he had stayed with her for nine night falls.

"And what exactly happened in these past days, eh?" Inuyasha smirked and nudged him with his elbow.

The guard snorted. "Let's just say it is only the beginning."

*~~~SSS~~~*

"Kagome-chan!" Eri cooed as she saw the miko and Rin walking down the hall towards her. She moved to greet them, her two friends tagging along with her.

Kagome smiled as she saw her friend. "Eri-chan," She greeted and then smiled at the other two human females. "Oh, hello. I do not believe we have met."

"Ah! We have heard so much about you, Kagome-sama," One said as she bowed. "I am Yuka and this is Ayumi."

The other girl with wavy black hair bowed. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Miko-sama!"

"Please, call me Kagome," She said with a smile. "And it is also nice to meet you all. Eri, how have you been?"

Eri groaned and linked arms with Kagome as she guided her down the hall, Yuka and Ayumi walking alongside them. "So much has happened since you left! We absolutely _must_ fill you in!"

"Oh? Is everything alright?" She asked, blinking when Ayumi came up behind her to take her travel pack. "Eh?"

"I am just going to put this in your room for you," She said with a smile. She then looked at Rin. "Rin-hime, Sesshoumaru-sama has told Yuka to escort you to your tutor." She then nodded to Yuka and began walking away, the third girl taking Rin away from them.

Kagome watched them go before turning towards Eri. "What happened?"

"Besides the impending battle that is supposed to be here any day's time, Asano-hime's father is coming in twelve day rises! He is insisting Sesshoumaru-sama mate her either by the time he arrives or when he is here!" Eri gossiped, her voice in a hushed whisper.

She blinked and pushed her braid over her shoulder. "Eri-chan, you made it sound as if something horrid had happened…"

"Something horrid did! Sesshoumaru-sama," She glanced around for a moment before leaning in closer to her. "He actually bedded her!"

"And?" She asked, lifting a brow. "That is a good thing, is it not?"

Eri looked at her incredulously. "Are you kidding me?" At Kagome's confused look, she sighed heavily. "Sesshoumaru-sama loathes her! And, I was kind of hoping you would be upset."

"Why would I be upset? Aren't they supposed to be together?"

"Kagome-chan! I thought you had feelings for our Lord? You two make the cutest couple!" She pouted, clutching the girl's arm tighter. "Have you at least even thought about it? I mean, you two fought side by side! And he rushed to your aid to heal his poison! And you provoke emotions from him when no other does! You are perfect for him! Oh, I can see it now! Him holding you in his strong arms, your little body fitting perfectly against his! Oh! And if you were naked-"

"Eri-chan!" The miko blushed profusely as the unwanted image invaded her mind. "You are day dreaming!" She shook her head. "The only emotion I provoke from him is anger! And he didn't cure me, I cured myself. Plus, he's the one who caused it in the first place! Besides," She paused and pursed her lips together as a new blush stained her cheeks. "I have been spending time with Ryura-kun."

Eri almost tripped over her own feet. "R-Ryura-sama?!" She squawked loudly, causing the other servants and inuyoukai traveling through the halls to stop and look at them.

"Shh!" She hushed, embarrassment radiating off of her. "And hai, Ryura-kun. He has spent the past several days at my home with me."

The human servant blinked once then twice before grinning. "Ah! You lucky girl! I wish it was my Lord, but Ryura is just as good." She said with a wink.

"Wish what was our Lord?"

Kagome and Eri froze at the cold, stern voice in front of them. They looked up to meet the grey eyes of Asano Sara. Eri instantly lowered into a bow and murmured her greetings. She rose back up and looked at Kagome. "I will see you later, Kagome-_sama, _I will gather you for dinner once the time comes." She said, suddenly sounding very detached and professional.

The assistant nodded and watched her go, perplexed by her withdrawal. She then looked at Sara and for a moment the two just stared at each other in an awkward silence. Growing more and more uncomfortable, she decided to speak up. "Good day, Sara."

Sara's eyes hardened at the disrespect. "Indeed, Miko," She sneered and then glanced in the direction the servant disappeared. "Was she acting familiar with you?"

Quickly putting two and two together, she shook her head. "Of course not. Why?"

Sara shrugged and raised her hand to swoop a lock of her hair behind her ear. "We have had issues with servants speaking out of place as well as acting too friendly with those of higher positions. But then again," She eyed the miko up and down. "I guess it would be suitable for her to regard you as such."

And there it began. Still, Kagome did not get upset like she had last time. She simply shrugged. "If you think so, Sara. Still, I do not believe it is your call."

Her jaw tightened and she slipped her hands into the sleeves of her silk pink kimono. "It will soon be my call, Miko. Sesshoumaru and I have _bedded_," She made sure to emphasize the word. "It is only time before I receive his Mark, making me the Lady of the West. And, once I have my title, I will make sure you are banished from the West."

Kagome pushed her bangs from her face and took a deep breath before she responded to the hime. "Sara, why do you hate me so? I apologize for the misconstrued words I told you, but other than that, I do not believe I gave you a reason to hold a grudge against me."

"Because I believe you are after my Intended." She shot back instantly. "Though your attempts to lure him will be futile. He has already had a taste of my body."

"Sara," She said exasperatedly. "I do not want Sesshoumaru."

"I do not believe-"

"Ryura-kun and I have been spending much time together." She admitted. "I found him attracted when I first met him and we enjoy each other's company."

Sara sputtered for a moment before pursing her lips together in a mixture of disbelief as well as embarrassment. "Oh? Is that so?"

She nodded. "You can ask him, if you wish," She gave her a small smile. "I just want this silly little feud between us to end. I want to help the West, but it is hard when I have someone continuously attacking me."

The Northern Hime studied the girl in front of her carefully. Surely if she already had a man, then she had no reason to go after hers, right? Finally, she let her anger go and gave a similar smile in return. "I think it would be best if it were to cease as well," Though she would still regard her as a threat, she would not verbally assault her anymore. "Well, I must be going to the Garden room. I am meeting with someone."

Kagome nodded. "Yes, and I am going to go greet Jinenji-san. I will see you around, Sara."

"Indeed, Miko." She replied as she walked away.

She watched her go and let out a breath. Thank Kami that was over! She smiled and stood up straighter, smoothing the wrinkles in her cream haori, before heading towards the medical wing. She looked down as she walked, thinking about how she had thrown her and Ryura's business out there. She knew, from experience, that rumors of them would spread quickly. Would Ryura be upset by it?

She sighed and lifted her head, but not quick enough to see the 'pillar' before she ran into it. "Damn," She cursed, rubbing her face.

"I see your detections skills have not improved."

Kagome removed her hand from her face and raised her eyes to see Sesshoumaru, looking pristine as ever, standing there. "S-Sesshoumaru!" She said, surprised. Then his words sunk in and she rolled her eyes at him. "Gee, I missed you too."

'**_Ah, so she has missed us_**,' His beast growled with pleasure. '**_She is so clumsy. Look at her hair, all disheveled from running into us._**'

Her sapphire eyes widened when his hand reached out towards her and brushed her bangs back into place. "Sesshoumaru?" She asked softly. What was he doing? Wasn't this somewhat intimate?

Honey pools widened when he realized what he was doing. He quickly withdrew his hand, narrowed his eyes hard at her, and then turned on his heel. '_I will kill you, Beast_.' He promised, his hand clenched hard into a fist.

With her mouth slightly agape, she watched in confusion as he stormed away from her. What in the world had just happened?


	19. Jealousy

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Nineteen: Jealousy

Kagome silently stalked down the hall after visiting Jinenji, heading towards the room that was reserved for her stay. She could barely keep focused and stay in the conversation with the Western healer; her mind was too focused on what had happened with her encounter with Sesshoumaru. What had propelled him to do that to her? But most importantly, why did she keep thinking about it?

She shook her head and tried to clear her head of the thoughts. It didn't matter. She had more important things to think about. For example, the impending war or her _relationship_ with Ryura .Was that even what it was called? Were they 'together'? That was pretty fast, was it not? She exhaled noisily. Why were men so complicated?

"Kagome-sama!" Eri called, gaining the miko's attention. She smiled and approached her. "It is time for dinner. Our Lord and Asano-hime have requested you and Ryura-sama eat dinner with them in the main hall."

Kagome blinked at the offer. "Well, I cannot refuse, now can I?" She asked as she walked along with her friend. As she walked, she noticed her friend's distance to her compared to when they usually walked arm in arm. "What's wrong, Eri-chan? What happened with Sara earlier?"

Eri sighed and tucked her short hair behind her ear. "Asano-hime she tells Ayumi everything because she assumed they were friends. I thought she knew that Ayumi, Yuka, and I are very close friends and that we talk to each other about everything. Well, she caught us talking about her and Sesshoumaru-sama's relationship and she blew up on us. She said that _familiar_ relationships between servants and those higher than them are no longer allowed."

The miko lifted her brow. "So who does that exclude exactly?"

"We cannot speak familiarly with Inuyasha-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama, Asano-hime, Rin-hime, Ryura-sama, Inukimi-sama, or Jinenji-san. And it is hard because we are all really good friends with Jinenji-san and Ryura-sama. It is difficult to play with Rin-hime without being punished for speaking to her too familiarly." Eri responded, looking down at the ground as she sighed.

"That is ridiculous. If you are friends, then you are friends, it shouldn't matter what your status is." She asked, her tone bitter.

"I agree, Kagome-sama," She had to remind herself to use the proper honorific for her miko friend. "But we have no choice but to listen to her. When she becomes Lady of the West, we do not want her to abolish our position here in the Western castle. Also, the punishment is too great."

She furrowed her brow in question. "What is your punishment?"

"Three lashings on the back..."

Kagome stared at her with a startled look. "Does Sesshoumaru know about this?"

Eri shrugged. "If he does, he has not said anything about it."

"Hmm, maybe I can talk to him about it. That is just not fair at all." She huffed and then stopped the girl before they entered the dining hall. "Do not worry, Eri-chan. Address me as you will when we are alone and I will tell no one of it, okay? We are friends and nothing will change that."

She smiled up at her friend and nodded. "Ryura-sama is lucky to have you. I wish Sesshoumaru-sama could have a mate like you," She grinned and nudged her with her elbow. "But hey, there is still time to change that."

Kagome couldn't stop the blush that spread across her cheeks as Eri slid open the shoji door and bowed low as she announced her presence. "Arigato, Eri-san." She said curtly, putting on a calm, indifferent demeanor so she wouldn't get scolded.

"Hey! Miko!" Inuyasha hollered. "Come sit over here!" He grinned mischievously as he patted the cushion between him and Ryura.

She gave Ryura an embarrassed smile when he smirked and made her way over to them. Once she tucked her legs under her, she turned to Inuyasha. "You know, Inu-kun, I have a name. It is Kagome. Ka-go-me."

His ears twitched annoyingly. "Don't call me that…"

She jumped slightly when she felt a clawed hand rest on her leg under the table. Without needing to know who it was, she lowered her hand to her lap and gingerly reached out to place one of them on Ryura's. She gave it a light squeeze and then looked up when Sara cleared her throat. "I thank you for inviting me to dine with you." She said, looking at the girl.

"Ah! It is no trouble at all! You belong here at the table with us, Miko-san!" Sara was absolutely glowing in pleasure. So, the miko was not telling a lie! She witnessed the entire expression exchange between the two. She smiled wider at the close proximity of them as they sat next to each other and she could only assume they were holding hands under the table.

She blinked at the cordialness of the hime before smiling a small smile. "Arigato, Sara-hime." She could play nice too.

"But of course!" She replied and decided to be bold and reached over under the table to put her hand on his. She then frowned when he sharply pulled it away.

Sesshoumaru watched the interaction as well and had to focus on the cup of tea in front of him to prevent his beast from coming forth to tear the two apart. What was it to him if the miko chose to mate his dragon guard? It would simply mean that she would be around the castle permanently. Hm, perhaps that would be an issue after all. He did not need his beast trying to attack his guard in order to mark the miko.

Kagome smiled at Eri when she, along with a few other servants, began to serve their dinner. She released Ryura's hand and picked up her chopsticks. She waited until everyone received their dishes and waited until both Sesshoumaru and Sara started eating before she took a bite of the cooked fish in front of her. After a few minutes, she chewed slowly and swallowed as she realized how quiet the meal was. She hated eating in silence; it was just awkward.

"So, Sesshoumaru," She began, looking at him. She waited until she was met with his amber stare to continue. "How is Bakusaiga working out?"

He lowered his chopsticks. "Very well," He answered. "I suspect it will make this battle go much smoother."

She smiled wide. "I am glad it is meeting your expectations!"

"Exceeding them, really." He added as he lifted another bite of his raw meat to his lips.

"How is the weight centering? It is not off at all, is it?" She questioned. "If it is, I could redo the blade placement."

The Western Lord set down his chopsticks as the conversation continued. He was somewhat pleased to be talking sword anatomy with someone who was competent in the subject. "It is off but a fraction, but it works to my advantage when swinging."

She nodded. "That is good then. Have you begun to master its techniques?"

He smirked at her. "I believe I already have it mastered."

Kagome lifted her brow at him. "I doubt that. You've only had it for a moon cycle!"

"It is true."

"Pft, I would need to see it to believe it."

Again, the corner of his lips tilted up into a smirk. "Perhaps you shall witness it on the field, Miko."

She let out a laugh. "Oh, perhaps!" She grinned and then picked up another piece of meat in her chopsticks to resume eating.

Ryura kept his expression impassive as he watched them talk, but truthfully he was jealous. His Lord talked to the miko so freely and even gave her a tilted smile. What was that? Was Sesshoumaru somehow interested in his miko? His hand tightened around his chopsticks and he accidently snapped them as his possessiveness got the better of him.

Kagome blinked as she looked at him. "Ryura-kun, are you alright?"

He looked down into her concerned sapphire orbs and could not help the slip of his youki as he exhaled silently. "Of course, Kagome-chan. I was just thinking how maybe my swords might need your expertise." He said as he accepted the new pair of chopsticks from Eri.

She flashed him a bright smile. "Hai! I would love to take a look at them for you!"

Sesshoumaru's hand tightened around his cup of tea. His eyes flashed to his brother, who was staring back at him with wide eyes. He looked back at Ryura and felt the muscles in his jaw clench slightly. Did the dragon just challenge him? His youki had a clear twinge of possessiveness and all but screamed a threat.

He cleared his throat and spoke firmly. "Perhaps, Miko," He began, drawing her attention away from her dragon companion. "You can also look at Inuyasha's sword. Tessaiga was one of father's best creations."

"Ah, Tessaiga!" She cooed, setting her chopsticks down. "Toto-ji has told me so much about it. Admittedly, I regret not seeing it in action in the last battle."

"Keh! If ya want a demonstration, I'll show ya one!" Inuyasha snorted, pushing up one of his sleeves.

"Save it for the South, half-breed." Sesshoumaru replied and then looked at her once again. "I have no doubt Bakusaiga is better, but there are certain aspects of the sword that may need touching up."

She tilted her head to the side a little. "Eh?" She then suddenly remembered what Totosai had told her about Tessaiga. "Oh! You mean the reiki! Yes, I can check the levels of it!"

He nodded. "I would like to be present for the inspection." He added, flickering his eyes to meet the fuming stare of the guard's.

She smiled. "I do not see how that would be a problem."

He kept Ryura's gaze as he replied, "Excellent."

"So, Inu-kun," Kagome started. "Have you master Tessaiga?"

Ryura snorted, trying to ease his own anger by starting on a new topic. "He still has much to learn."

"Hey! I do not!" He countered as Kagome giggled.

Sara sat there shocked, her mouth agape while she held her bowl in one hand and her chopsticks in another. How had the miko managed to get her love to talk so much? Perhaps he was just talkative tonight? Maybe she would try engaging him in a conversation.

"Ah, so, Sesshoumaru-sama," She began and then turned slightly so she was facing him. "How do you think our chances are for the impending battle?"

He did not cast a glance her way as he picked up his chopsticks once again. "It depends."

She nibbled on her bottom lip at his short answer. "Depends on what?"

"The battle." He replied and then took another bite of his meat.

"Oh, I see…" She trailed off and then looked over at the other side of the table. Inuyasha and Ryura were talking about fighting stances and techniques while the miko perked in every once in a while about where it was best to hit the other sword with a blade. She watched as they joked and laughed amongst each other.

How was she suddenly the outsider?

*~~~SSS~~~*

Kagome sighed contently as she walked down the hall with Ryura to her room. "I am so full! The food was really good, ne, Ryura-kun?"

The dragon guard stared forward, his crimson eyes slightly narrowed as he once again thought about the Western Lord. Was Sesshoumaru toying with him? Or did he truly have a thing for his miko? He had Asano! And he would be damned if he tried to make his miko one of his concubines!

He tensed slightly when he felt her grasp his hand before relaxing at her concerned gaze. "Gomen, Kagome-chan. What were you saying?"

She gave him a small smile. "I was just saying that dinner was good," She repeated and then gave his hand a squeeze. "Are you alright?"

He nodded, forcing his thoughts aside as he focused on the female beside him. "I am fine, just thinking," He stopped with her as they approached her room. "Well, good night then, Kagome-chan."

She frowned and then let her eyes roam over the two sword handles that peered over each of his shoulders. "You do not have to leave. I mean, I can take a look at your swords." She offered, blushing slightly at the invitation into her room.

He grinned at the subtle invitation and dipped his head in a nod. "I would appreciate that." He stepped into her room after her and closed the shoji door shut behind him. He watched with a sly gleam in his eyes as she kneeled down at the table in her room and ushered him to do the same. He obeyed and pulled each of his swords from their sheaths and placed them on the surface of the table.

"I cannot believe I haven't looked at these yet," She mused to herself and ran her finger tips over the battle-worn blade of the first sword and then the second. "Ah, this is definitely a strong set of swords, Ryura-kun," She complimented.

"Arigato," He replied. "I have had them for a long while."

"They have seen many battles." She added, looking at the little nicks and scratches along their edges.

"Indeed." His eyes were on her face, studying her humane beauty. "Have you?"

She shook her head. "No, not at all. I witnessed a massacre when I was little," She said softly, frowning. "And then the battle I was in a month ago was my first time in something of that magnitude."

Judging from her demeanor when she spoke of the massacre, he decided not to ask about it. "How did you learn how to fight?"

She perked up a little. "Toto-ji taught me sword play and a little bit of hand-to-hand defense. But, I learned offense by getting into my own fights when I traveled on my own."

"He lets you travel on your own?" He was shocked. She was a fragile, little human. How could her caretaker allow her to face the world on her own?

She shrugged. "I begged him. I felt so suffocated in that cave. I wanted to go out on my own. Safe to say I faced the consequences, but learned a lot."

He smiled at her words. She was so strong and he hadn't even seen her fight yet. She was mate worthy for sure. Speaking of mates, "How do you feel about _Sesshoumaru_?"

Kagome blinked at the random question and looked up to meet his eyes. "He…" She paused and searched for the right words. "He is more than he lets on, I think."

He raised a brow. "Eri-san is convinced you would be a perfect mate for him."

She blushed, the image Eri painted for her with her words as well as when Sesshoumaru touched her hair still fresh in her mind. She pushed her hair behind her ear. "I-"

He cut her off when he moved in close to her with a predator speed. He did not like that she blushed when he mentioned Sesshoumaru. She was supposed to be _his_. He felt his own beast growl when she shrunk back away from him, leaning back with her arms behind her to brace herself. "Are you scared, Kagome-chan?" He rumbled.

She released the breath she was holding and looked up at him. "N-no," She stammered. "You just startled me…"

He lowered his face closer to hers, his body almost covering hers as he hovered over her. "Is that so?" He asked, lifting a brow.

"H-hai," She breathed, a blush burning her cheeks at their position. "Ryura-kun…"

"Do you wish I was Sesshoumaru?" He asked.

Her brows knitted together. "No, why would you think that?" She then looked away shyly. "I am glad you are here with me."

Ryura paused and lifted his head away from her for a moment, his braid falling over his shoulder as he did. He used one of his hands to guide her face back to face him and stared into her eyes to look for a trace of deceit. He was pleased when he found none. He gave a small smiled and leaned down to brush his nose against hers.

"I too am glad I am here." He stated and ran his thumb over her bottom lip.

She felt butterflies swarm her stomach at the contact and the sudden lustful tone of his voice. She licked her lips as she looked at his and moved her head but a fraction forward towards his. She felt that she needed to redeem herself for their last kiss, but was still too shy to just go in for it.

Taking her invitation, he closed the distance between them and pressed his lips hard against hers. He was pleasantly surprised when she moved her against his. When her lips parted unsurely, he dipped his tongue into her mouth and brushed it against hers. He was thrilled that he was teaching her and leading her slowly away from her innocence.

She gave a soft moan at the unexpected feeling that made butterflies burst in her stomach. She worked up the courage to let her tongue roll against his and inhaled sharply when his hand wove its way into her hair and pulled her head in closer to firmly press their mouths together. Again, she could feel his hunger and need in the roughness of his kiss.

She was starting to feel uncomfortable again.

They both jumped and tore away from each other when a series of loud gongs and bells began to go off around the palace. She leapt to her feet with him and made her way to the entrance of her room. She slid open the shoji door to see soldiers and servants running down the hall while shouting at one another.

She looked at Ryura with confusion. "What is going on?"

He picked up his swords and slid them into their sheaths on his back as he walked over to her. "It seems the Southern army is finally here."

**A/N: To my followers, I forgot about my lemon scene (between Sara and Sesshoumaru) completely and forgot to edit it out. So, those you have been reading, you got a treat XD BUT, future lemon scenes WILL be edited out to meet 's requirement and guidelines. Sorry guys! But, the link to the unedited version is on my profile! (: Thanks for reading!**

**-MissKatt  
**


	20. Hanyou Blood

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Twenty: Hanyou Blood

Kagome moved from her door and hurried over to her travel pack to rummage through it for her armor. Once she found it, she slid it over her head and tied the obi tight around her middle before tightening the shoulder straps. She slid her sword into the obi and pulled on her ankle boots. She didn't bother wasting time to tie up her hair.

"Are ready to depart to the courtyard?" Ryura asked as they moved out of her room and into the hall.

She nodded and put her hand on her hilt as she began to run towards the entrance of the castle. She let out a soft _eep_ as she felt strong arms lift her from the ground and cradle her against an armored chest. She blinked at she looked up at Ryura. "Ryura-kun?"

"Take no offense, Kagome-chan," He said with a smirk. "It is just that I am faster and we must get there with haste to receive orders."

She pursed her lips together and nodded once more as she was carried. As much as she understood his reasoning, it still made her feel weak. She couldn't help that she wasn't as fast as a youkai. Did he view her as some weak human? She frowned at the thought. Why would he take a liking to her then?

"Keh! Took you long enough!" Inuyasha's brash voice reached her ears as he set her down on the grass.

She gave him a small smile. "Gomen, Inu-kun," She started and then looked at Sesshoumaru as he walked towards them, tightening his arm guard. "Where is the enemy?"

He let his amber eyes fall on her and he felt his beast growl as the dragon's scent, as well as a twinge of arousal, radiated off of her. He tore his eyes away from her and looked over at his vast army. He then lowered his arm as he finished securing the armor in place. "They are a mile from the Western gate." He replied and rested his hand on Bakusaiga's hilt.

"They are closer than I anticipated." Ryura commented with a frown.

"Indeed," Sesshoumaru replied. "That is why I need you to stay here in the castle. I am leaving with you twenty-five guards should we not be able to stop them."

The dragon dipped his head. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama. Have you received word from the East?"

"The fleabags ain't comin'," Inuyasha growled, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's just us against the South."

Kagome gave a startled look. "Surely they are going to come and assist their ally?"

"They are not. The Lord of the East is too concerned that the South will attack if they leave their lands to assist us." Sesshoumaru replied and turned towards his troops. "We move out!" He ordered and began to lead his troops out of the Western gate.

"Oh," She could see how Kouga's worry was justified. She saw them begin to head out and gave Ryura a small good-bye smile before she took a step to follow them. She stumbled when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She looked up at him and furrowed her brow. "Ryura-kun?"

His crimson eyes bore down into hers. "Where are you going?"

She blinked. "To fight the South…"

He shook his head. "No, you are going to stay and protect the castle with me."

Was he giving her an order? "No, Ryura-kun, I am going to go help Sesshoumaru fight the South so they can't reach the Western castle."

He narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on her arm. "You will act as a woman and stay here as you should."

It was her turn to glare hard at the dragon with her cerulean eyes as she held back a wince. "I thought that is what you liked about me? That I was different and strong?"

"I do," He replied. "But, you do not need to fight at all. Stay here and I will protect you."

Inuyasha's jaw clenched as he watched the interaction. He had waited to depart to take up the rear of their troops when he heard the two bickering. "Ay!" He called, gaining their attention. "Is there a problem? We gotta go!"

She heard Inuyasha's words and pulled her arm from Ryura's grip, her heart hammering in both anger and uneasiness. She took a step back from him and then another. "I can protect myself," She said stiffly. "And again, no one controls me; I do as I wish. I gave Sesshoumaru my word, and so I shall keep it." She turned to Inuyasha "Shall we?"

He nodded and crouched down in front of her. "Hop on; it'll be faster this way."

Without a second look at Ryura, she climbed on to Inuyasha's back and held onto his shoulders as he leapt up and ran towards the front of the line.

The dragon growled as he watched them go before turning to face his troop. "Go and station yourselves around the castle!" He ordered. "If you get sight or word of anyone or anything entering the lands that are not of the West, report to me immediately!"

"Hai!" They called back and dispersed to take up their posts.

The Western guard looked back to where his unofficial intended departed and frowned. He wished his lord triumph, but he mostly wished that his last encounter with Kagome would not be an argument.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Kagome raised her sword and blocked the attack of oni that came at her. No sooner had she stepped off Inuyasha's back, had the war began. It was as if the South waited no time in their attack. There was no stepping back to consider the numbers or any time to formulate a plan; it was a straight charge towards the West.

She easily sliced through the mindless oni, trying to save her miko powers until she began to tire. She didn't really have an objective on the battlefield, much like the rest of the soldiers, except to take down the enemy and make sure they didn't infest the Western castle. She took the free moment she had to look over the field. So far, the South wasn't putting up much of a fight. In fact, there wasn't as many as there were during the first battle. Was the Southern Lord running low on troops? Or was this just another part of his plan?

She glanced over to see Sesshoumaru conversing with a female she hadn't seen before. Was she one of the Southern Lord's people? Or was she on their side?

"Hyah!" The miko grunted as she swung her now illuminated blade at the oni that came at her. She had been caught off guard, but her purification made quick work of the oni. She took a few steps forwards towards Sesshoumaru, but abruptly stopped when another entered her path, its back towards her, as he swiped his massive arm at the unsuspecting inuyoukai fighting next to her.

_'A spider scar?_' She thought as she studied the purple flesh of the youkai in front of her.

The youkai turned towards her, his red eyes bearing down onto her as his tiny slits for pupils took in her small form. "Yes, it is a spider scar. I was born of Naraku and this is his mark."

Startled, she slid her feet back and went into a defensive stance as she looked up at the tall demon. Did he just read her thoughts? She had only heard of oni with such capabilities, she never expected to ever encounter one. She sort of thought they weren't real.

"Well, little Ningen, unfortunately for you, we are quite real. You were able to encounter one, but your life stops there!" He snarled and went down on all fours, his giant horns pointing towards her.

Kagome readied herself for the lunge, but he disappeared in a flash. Her eyes widened in shock as her senses screamed at her that he was suddenly above her. _'He's fast.'_ She thought and leapt back to avoid the attack, but he was already there when her foot touched down onto the soil. The force from his backhand sent her reeling to the right before she tumbled to the floor. _'He's strong too…'_

"Indeed I am, Ningen. You cannot possibly win against me, Goshinki." He taunted and sped at her once more as she got back up onto her feet.

She held up her sword for defense and blocked his sharp horns before they could stab her. She pushed back against him and gave herself enough room to swing at his left shoulder. As soon as she lifted her hand, he was gone. She went to lower her sword back into a defensive position, but didn't make it in time before he swung his hand at her again. She soared to the left and rolled ungracefully on the dirt. She wiped the blood from her lip and slowly began to raise herself up on her feet. How was he so strong?

"Because I can read each one of your thoughts, Ningen," He replied. "I can see every move you're going to make before you make it. As soon as you commit to it, I can defend myself and take you down."

Panic blossomed in the back of her mind as she took his skill into consideration. How could she defeat someone who could read her every thought and move? Still, she tried to hold firm as he slowly approached her, his eyes stalking her like a predator.

"Are you ready to die?" He asked as he lunged towards her.

She held up her sword, but then gasped as a familiar hanyou jumped in front of her, Tessaiga swinging at the claws of the youkai.

"Keh! You'd have to do better than that!" Inuyasha growled as he pushed him back.

"Inu-kun…" She breathed, blinking in surprise.

His cheeks pinched pink for a brief moment. "I told you not to call me that!" He snapped, his ears flattening against his head. He glanced over his shoulder and looked at her. "I got this. Go help the others."

She furrowed her brow. "Are you sure?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, I got it! Go!" He retorted and turned back to the youkai.

"No! You cannot defeat him on your own, Inu-kun! He's too strong!" She replied and moved to stand next to him.

"Don't underestimate me, Woman. I can handle this." He snorted and stepped forward so she was behind him. He gripped Tessaiga with two hands and held it at his side as he prepared for his attack.

"No, Inu-kun! He can read your mind!" She tried to explain.

"Read this!" He snapped. "Kaze no Kizu!"

Her eyes widened as she witnessed the power of Tessaiga as it sliced into the ground in front of them, destroying all in its path. Though, when the smoke cleared, Goshinki was nowhere to be seen. "W-where did he go?"

"Keh, isn't it obvious? I killed him!" Inuyasha said proudly, swinging Tessaiga over his shoulder.

"I do not think so, Inu-kun…" She replied and moved closer to him as she looked around them, trying to find the youkai.

"It seems you are smarter than you appear, Ningen." Came his voice from behind them. He moved forward quickly, his claws extended to attack.

Inuyasha grabbed Kagome around her waist and leapt back with her away from the youkai. He grunted and tried to shield her when they were attack from behind once again, the youkai already waiting for them in their landing spot. "W-what the hell?"

"I told you!" She hissed, trying to pick herself off the ground for the third time. Her body protested, the impacts affecting her body more than she thought.

Goshinki laughed menacingly. "You should listen to your pet, Hanyou. She speaks true."

Inuyasha let out a growl and jumped to his feet. "I ain't done yet!" He shouted and readied Tessaiga again. "Kaze no Kizu!"

Goshinki caught Tessaiga in his massive jaws before the swing could be finished. He bit down hard, his crimson eyes narrowing at the hanyou.

"H-hey! Let go!" Inuyasha shouted, trying to pull the sword free from the youkai's mouth.

He bit down harder as Inuyasha pulled, causing the blade to begin to crack. With a smirk, he clenched his jaw and ground his teeth together, causing he sword to break in half. He spit his half away and swung back his hand before swiping at Inuyasha, the large claws digging deeply into his chest.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried as his body fell to the floor in a heap, his blood splattering alongside him. She scrambled up to her feet and kneeled down next to him as Tessaiga reverted back to its inactive form. She leaned towards him to see his ember eyes were glazed over, seemingly lifeless. "Inuyasha!" She cried again, putting her hand on his shoulder to try and wake him.

"It is no use, Ningen," Goshinki laughed, licking the blood from his claws. "A mere hanyou wouldn't be able to survive something so fatal."

She stiffened and looked over her shoulder at him. "You are horrible." She sniffed, tears in her eyes.

"Indeed I am. But do not fret; you will soon be joining him!" He exclaimed and charged at her.

She quickly leapt back to her feet and laced her blade with her reiki. She blocked his attack and smiled in triumph when his skin sizzled from her power. She readied herself for an attack, but froze once again when the realization that he would know what she would do dawned on her. She furrowed her brow.

What was she to do?

"There is nothing you can do!" He shouted and sped at her again.

She tried to follow him with her eyes, but he proved to be too fast for her human sight. Cursing, she tried to imagine putting herself in a pink bubble of protection, but it required concentration. As she suspected, he knew what she was doing and smacked her back to the ground before she could form it.

She coughed as she hit the ground painfully, her hand going to her ribs. She raised herself up on her free arm and looked at Inuyasha. "Inu-kun, please…" She begged. "Wake up."

"He cannot save you now, Ningen," He spat and put his large foot on her back, forcing her back down against the ground and relishing in her cry of pain. "Tell him I bid him hello."

She cried out again when he stepped harder on her back, her bones protesting in pain. She tried to bring forth her miko powers, but she couldn't concentrate on them with the pain raking her body. She closed her eyes, her hands balling into fists as she tried to bring forth _something_.

But then the pressure was gone.

Blinking, she raised herself back up on her arm to see Inuyasha gone from his spot on the floor next to her. She rolled onto her back and forced herself in a sitting position to look around. Her mouth fell open in shock as she witnessed Inuyasha standing a few feet away from her. His eyes were red with turquoise irises, his cheeks adorned with a single purple stripe, and his fangs were elongated.

"H-how did you do that?" Goshinki asked, shaken up by the fact that he could no longer read the hanyou's mind.

Inuyasha merely growled low and long as he cracked his fingers. He moved his foot back into an offensive position as he raised his hands, his eyes never leaving his enemy's.

Goshinki growled as well and charged at the hanyou once again. Surely it was a one-time fluke. There was no way he could not read his mind _ever_ again. As he neared the hanyou, he realized something as it was drastically too late. There was no coherent thought process with him, only jumbles of words and pictures. His youkai blood was taking over his mind, thus making him run on instinct alone.

Inuyasha grinned evilly and sped at the youkai, his claws extended as they swiped through the youkai powerfully, ripping the youkai into shreds. He watched as the body fell to pieces on the floor and looked at his blood stained claws with joy.

"I-Inu-kun!" Kagome said with a relieved sigh. She stood up and began to make her way over to him. "That was amazing. How did you do that?" She asked and then stopped dead in her tracks when he turned his blood lust gaze onto her. Surely he wouldn't attack her, right? They were friends. "Inu-kun?"

He took a step towards her, raising his claws to his mouth to lick at the blood there. He smirked and cracked his knuckles again before taking a few more steps towards her. When she went to take a few steps back, he lurched at her, grabbing her tightly within his claws once her had her on the floor.

She winced as his claws dug into the skin of her arms. "I-Inuyasha!" She cried, trying to wiggle free from his grip. What was wrong with him? "Let go of me! What is wrong with you?" She shouted.

He growled deeply again and pinned her down with one hand as he raised his other, his sharp claws aimed at her neck. He would have more blood.

Her eyes widened at the threatening pose as her chest heaved with panic. But, she couldn't purify him! It was Inuyasha! Her friend! She just couldn't. Someone had to get him off of her. Someone had to subdue him. Someone had to bring him back! She closed her eyes tightly and shouted for the only person she could think of that would be able to handle the task.

"Sesshoumaru!"

Sesshoumaru swiped at one oni after another with ease. _Too_ much ease. Was this Naraku's plan? To get them away from the castle? Had he sent troops to the East in hopes to overtake it while they were supposedly aiding the West? Was this just another game plan for him? Something told Sesshoumaru that they were all Naraku's pawns at that moment.

"You look bored, Sesshoumaru."

He raised his eyes and looked upon the female he had encountered a while ago. Even though half her face was covered by her fan, her blood red eyes and the scent of death was easily identified. "Kagura." He replied, turning fully towards her.

"Ah, I am honored you remembered my name." She smiled and snapped her fan shut before crossing her arms over her chest.

His hand tightened on Bakusaiga's hilt. "Where is Naraku?"

"Not here, of course." She shrugged. "He had more important things that required his attention."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his smoldering eyes at her. "Why send anyone at all then?"

"He is looking for something," She answered and then shook her head. "I am simply here to supervise. I was ordered not to attack you; otherwise I would have killed you by now."

He resisted the urge to snort at her comment. "You are over confident, Woman. Learn your place."

"Make no mistake, Western Lord, I will kill you. _You_ are the ticket to my freedom." She replied and flipped her fan open again. "Oh, pity, it seems the fun is over already."

He raised a brow at her, but did not ask about her words. Instead, he watched as she pulled a feather from her hair. He did not flinch as it morphed into a larger size and took her away with a gust of air.

"Sesshoumaru!"

**A/N: Okay. I know, horrible cliffy. Howeverrr! I really need everyone to read this Author's Note! I have two points to address!**

**Okay, so, first point: I guess I really didn't make something too clear because I've had several people tell me what a cool 'OC' Ryura is. –cries- My apologies guys, but Ryura is an actual character from Inuyasha. He is the 'leader' of the Four War Gods in the 4th Inuyasha Movie: Fire on Mystic Island. Here is his bio on , please check it out :) **

**inuyasha.****wikia.**

**(remove all spaces)**

**com/****wiki/**

**(this is really annoying)**

**Ry%C5%ABra **

**(remove spaces!)  
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**Second point: I have had like…a hundred question asking about RyuraxKagome smut. And I am thinking that, because I love you guys so much, that I may write a one-shot on it. But, I will be putting in** **more lime situations in this fic with them regardless (:**

**-MissKatt**


	21. Past Promises

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Twenty-One: Past Promises

As Sesshoumaru turned to address the miko, he felt the beast within the darkest part of him nearly howl at the scene. In a blur of color, he appeared at the side of them and lifted Inuyasha from her by his neck.

Kagome gasped and inhaled loudly as the pressure of his person was relieved from hers. She sat up before she looked down at her throbbing arm and raised her hand to cover the five bleeding puncture wounds from his claws. She raised her eyes when a loud snarl reached her ears and looked at the two.

Sesshoumaru dodged the bloodied claws of his brother and pushed him far away enough to send a kick to his chest, pushing his brother back. "You over-step yourself, Hanyou!" He growled, lip lifted to reveal a deadly set of fangs. He lifted his hand and cracked his knuckles as he prepared to fight.

Inuyasha simply snarled once more as he leapt to his feet, his crimson eyes screaming the desire for blood. With a flare of his youki, he charged at the male in front of him. He did not care who or what was in front of him; all he wanted was blood. Sweet, sweet, blood. He wanted it to coat his hands and drip from his claws down into a puddle of crimson beauty.

Sesshoumaru waited until he was closer and easily deflected the attack. He could not believe the youki in Inuyasha had over powered his human side again. As Inuyasha attacked him once more, his caught his hands within his own, the two now pushing against one another, he was reminded of when it had happened during Inuyasha's adolescent years.

_A loud snarl rang out through the castle, causing Sesshoumaru to raise his head from his studies. He raised his brow at the interruption, but then lowered his head back down to his scroll of Eastern trade routes. It wasn't until he felt a surge of youki did he rise to his feet. The youki was familiar, yet undistinguished at the same time. _

_"Young Master Sesshoumaru?" _

_He cast his amber eyes towards his instructor. "Who was that?"_

_"I am unsure, but your studies are not complete for the day. Please sit and resume."_

_Sesshoumaru went to do as told, but froze when he felt his father's over-powering youki swell in the air around them. Much to his instructor's protests and dismay, he bolted out of the door and down the hall to where he felt his father's aura. As he neared the throne room, the scent of his kid brother's, as well as others', blood invaded his nose. He stopped as he entered the entryway to the great room and felt his mouth drop open in shock as he saw the scene before him._

_Several soldiers, including Inuyasha's personal guard and mentor, lay dead on the wooden floor in pools of their own blood. Inuyasha stood before them with bloodied claws, his eyes gleaming red with desire. What could have caused this change in his brother? It was almost as if he was…youkai. He then let his eyes fall on his father, who was standing very still in a seemingly calm position. Sesshoumaru knew better though; his father was anxious, almost distraught. _

_His pointed ears picked up the sound of slapping sandals on wood, and turned to see Izayoi and his mother running down the hall towards him and the room. They stopped next to him for a moment and took in the scene. _

_"Inuyasha!" Izayoi cried and went to run towards him, but Sesshoumaru grabbed and pulled her back._

_Inuyasha, hearing the new comer's voice, turned slowly towards them. His lip lifted into a snarl and his fingers twitched with need. _

_Seeing his son about to attack his pack, and also distracted for the moment, Touga charged at his youngest. He swiftly lifted his hand and used the side of it to smack Inuyasha hard in the back of the head. He easily caught him as he fainted and kneeled down to cradle him. His loose silver hair fell over his shoulder in a silky wave as he watched the blue stripes disappear from his son's face._

_Deeming it safe, Sesshoumaru released Izayoi and followed her over to his father's side. "Otou-sama?" He questioned._

_His father did not look at him as he spoke. "His youki side finally over powered his human side," He explained. "I knew this day would come."_

_"Did it occur at random?" He asked, ignoring Izayoi's questions and cries._

_"No, he was severely wounded in his training session. His instincts took over and thus triggered his transformation." He shifted slightly and pulled Tessaiga from his obi. He then placed it on Inuyasha's chest before he stood, lifting his son into his arms. He met the honey orbs of his eldest. "Son, I know you had your sights on Tessaiga, but I had it made for your brother. It balances your brother's blood."_

_Sesshoumaru's brows furrowed. "Then…Tenseiga is to be mine?"_

_Touga did not miss the severe disappointment in his son's tone. "Hai," He replied. "But Sesshoumaru, do not let this cause another reason to hate your brother. You must promise me that you will make sure Inuyasha will have this on him at all times." When he remained quiet, he let a soft growl rumble in his throat._

_What an unfair request; to make sure his brother kept hold of the item he wanted most. With bitterness that could rival a lemon's, he responded. "Hai, Otou-sama."_

_"Good," He retorted. "But, should anything happen to Tessaiga or should he be separated from it, I am holding it to you to take care of him and bring him back to his right state of mind."_

_"Hai, Otou-sama…"_

The Western heir narrowed his eyes at the memory and pushed back hard against the hanyou and released one of his hands. He drew it back into a fist and swung it hard into his face, knocking his brother to the side. He watched as he landed on the floor in a cloud of dirt and almost willed him to stay down. He enjoyed fighting his brother, yes, but not when lacked recollection of himself.

The assistant rose to her feet and watched the scene with furrowed brows. She heard a series of gasps and looked around to see that the South has retreated, the Western soldiers standing around to witness the fight between their lord and prince. They began to whisper amongst each other, their faces twisting and turning with disbelief and concern.

Not wanting any disrespect to come to either male by the creation of rumors, she turned towards them with a strong resolve. "All of you! Head back to the Western Palace to make sure we were not infiltrated!" She ordered, her voice firm. When they just glanced at each other and then back at the scene before looking at her once more, she narrowed her eyes. "Did you hear me? I said get back to the West! Do not make me purify you, so help the Kami I will!" Their faces dropped and flushed as they lowered into bows before turning and disappearing in blurs of black.

With a sigh, she turned back to Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha. She sucked in a breath and winced when the lord swung his leg hard at Inuyasha, sending him into the nearest tree and then through it. "Sesshoumaru," She said softly, but kept her spot a few paces away from him so she wouldn't get in the way. "Will he come back?"

He looked over his shoulder at her and took in her concerned look. "Indeed, Miko," He replied. "I simply need to beat him enough."

She frowned at his answer. "Just don't kill him…"

*~~~SSS~~~*

Kagura stepped into the dimly lit room and slid the shoji door shut behind her and Kanna. She tried to ignore the girl that was currently draped over her lord, her lips nearly attached to his neck as she kissed and suckled at his pale skin. She stepped forward and lowered down onto one knee in a bow. "Naraku-sama, we have done as you asked."

The hanyou slowly lifted his eyelids, revealing pleasure glazed eyes. "And? What did you gather? And where is Goshinki? I wish to hear what he found in her head."

She bowed her head. "I am afraid he was easily defeated. Perhaps you should make your next spawn stronger," She replied dryly. She, like Goshinki, Kanna, and Hakudoushi, was also a spawn of the man. Would she so easily be cast aside as well? "Unless you intend to fight for yourself next time?"

His eyes swiveled towards her, bearing down on her with the weight of his disapproval. "I did not ask for your attitude, Kagura," He hissed. "Still, he was simply made for informational purposes."

She snorted, but bowed her head. "My apologies."

He narrowed his eyes. "What did you bring me?"

Kanna stepped forward and tilted the mirror in her hands. The glass shimmered for a moment before the image of a woman appeared. "This was the only female on the battlefield." She reported with a soft, whispering voice.

Naraku ordered the girl to leave and urged Kanna closer. "And what did you find out about her?" He asked, looking at the raven haired girl in the mirror.

"I found no proof that she was a miko," She replied. "This is her fighting Goshinki. The Western Prince is the one who defeated him."

Naraku narrowed his crimson eyes at the glass and then looked at Kagura. "You were there, did you sense any reiki?"

She shook her head. "No. I was too busy dealing with Sesshoumaru," It wasn't a lie. "But, she does not look like much. The other miko I have destroyed at least flared their power in defense, yet this girl did nothing."

Naraku rested his arm on his bent up knee as he thought. "Did you ask the monk and Taijiya if this was her?"

"Hai," Kanna replied, lifting her black eyes to look at her lord. "They confirmed that it was."

"This is also the female that was reported as the one who caused uproar in the West?" He asked again. She did not seem like much. Even staring at her in the mirror, nothing stood out that would differentiate her from any other human. She didn't look like she had any power at all.

Kagura nodded. "This is the one we were messaged about."

"The Harlot," He mused, remembering the word all too well. "We will continue to study her. If she shows any sort of power, I want an immediate update."

"Hai, Naraku-sama." They responded and bowed low to him.

*~~~SSS~~~*

The Western Guard stood at the entrance of the palace gate, his jaw clenched tight in anticipation and loathing. Crimson eyes scanned the land before him, searching for any sign that would indicate an arrival. The troop that had gone out with his lord had returned a while ago, but Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and his miko had not returned yet.

To say he was upset was an understatement.

He had let his possessiveness get the better of him and it caused them to leave on bad terms. He clenched his hands into fists, his claws digging into his palms. It was a horrible dragon trait, he knew. Whenever a dragon found anything deemed as a treasure, they made sure to keep it safe and near them at all times. They did not allow it to get into harm's way in fear of losing it forever.

Kagome just happened to be a _living_ treasure that did not believe in being one's object. He couldn't blame her, really. He knew about her fiery and defiant attitude from the moment he met her; it was what drew him to her. He liked that she was not of normal mate potential. She was not well educated in youkai traditions, nor submissive in any way. Most importantly, she was a human, and an untouched one at that.

She was so, so different from him, from youkai in general, that he wanted to keep her all to himself like the treasure he knew she was, but knew he risked losing her if he did. He took a deep breath and swore to himself that if she returned to him, he would redeem himself and make amends with her.

_If_ she came back.

He frowned and shook his head. She would! She had to. He had not found a potential mate since his War Kami years and even then, he did not pursue it. He could not, would not, let this one go.

The sound of footsteps reached his pointed ears and he lifted his head to see Sesshoumaru caring an unconscious prince slung over his shoulder, his little miko walking alongside him. His lips instantly tilted into a smile at seeing her alive and well. He hurried to meet them and bowed to his lord, but he could not keep his eyes off the miko.

"Welcome back, Sesshoumaru-sama," He said and then smiled at Kagome. "Kagome-chan."

She smiled back at him tiredly. She wasn't mad at him anymore, no, but she did think they needed to talk about their fight. "Konban-," She cut herself off and looked at the sky to see the faint traces of the sun painting the sky a soft hue of purple and pink. "Ohayou, Ryura-kun."

He flashed her a brilliant smile when he sensed no hostility and looked at his lord when he growled annoyingly. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Take Inuyasha to Jinenji to be healed," He handed his half-brother over to the guard. He then nodded at the broken Tessaiga in the miko's possession. "Make sure Tessaiga is by his side."

Kagome had managed to place the broken blade in pieces in the sheath and tied it shut to make sure it would not fall apart. She placed the sword in Inuyasha's obi and looked at Ryura. "Be careful with the sword, any wrong move and the sword will fall out from the sheath in pieces."

He nodded and, with a disappointed look, stepped away from the two and quickly made his way to the healer.

Cerulean eyes found Sesshoumaru's as she felt him looking at her. "I will venture home tomorrow with Tessaiga and see what I can do to fix it. I may need Inuyasha to come with me though."

He nodded. "It is understandable," On a second though, he added, "I will join you."

She blinked. "Eh?"

"You heard correctly, Miko. He is wounded and weaponless; should he be engaged in battle, he would be useless. What would happen if he would lose sight of himself once again?" He asked, walking towards the Western Palace.

She fell in step beside him. "I understand, but will it truly be okay for you to leave the West for a certain amount of time?"

"Ryura shall stay here to watch over everything. He is the only one with skills I trust." He answered.

"Why doesn't Ryura just come with us? Would that not make more sense?" She asked, stretching her sore arms over her head before placing her hands behind her head.

He glanced at her before looking forward once more. "Perhaps," He agreed. "But I must honor a promise I made many centuries ago."

She looked at him, but the look on his face made her silence her questions. If he wished to tell her, he would have. She had pried enough into his life before and suffered the wrath of his tongue. Speaking of getting too close and punishments, "Oh, Sesshoumaru, I have a request."

He turned his head slightly to look at her once again, his brow raised in question. "A request?"

"Hai," She paused her walk before they entered the main hall. "I was talking to Eri-san earlier about court relationships."

"Court relationships?" What was it about this female that always had him asking questions? Why could she not just elaborate all at once?

"Hai, like servant relationships with those in higher positions. She said that Asano-hime refused to allow friendships between the two. Did you hear about that?" She questioned.

"It is the first time I am hearing of it." He admitted, though he could vaguely remember his intended rambling on about her being 'made a fool of' by her attendants.

Kagome frowned. "That is what I assumed. She had also taken the liberty of punishing your servants if caught talking too familiarly with those in higher ranks." Kami, she felt like a tattling child. "I do not mean to meddle, but I do not approve of it. I consider Eri-san a friend of mine and I do not want to hide our friendship."

Sesshoumaru mulled her words around for a moment. "I understand. I will rectify these rules that were placed without my consent."

She smiled at him. "Arigato, Sesshoumaru-sama." Her grin faltered for a moment. "Um, however, how you bring it up…"

"Do not fret, Miko, I will mention it discreetly." When she smiled at him again, he felt his beast stir in pride.

**_'Time alone with our Miko is exactly what we need.'_**

**A/N: Errr, sorry for the delay D: I'll try to be more productive ^^;; RL has been hectic!**


	22. Distrust

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Twenty-Two: Distrust

Sesshoumaru made his way straight towards his personal chambers after he and the miko parted ways. He would read the reports from the East before going to check on Inuyasha's progress. He paused before he entered his room, the familiar, over-flowered scent of Sara coming from inside. He took a calming breath, knowing that snapping at her would be a poor decision when the arrival of her father was day cycles away. He slid open his shoji door and let his eyes fall on her as she kneeled on one of his cushions, her flute pressed to her lips as she played a soft tune.

"Sara-hime," He spoke, gaining her attention. Instantly, the sound stopped and she removed the flute from her lips. "It is barely sunrise. Why are you in my chambers?"

She looked down at the flute in her hands. "I brought a letter from the East a messenger delivered," She nodded her head towards the scroll on his desk. "But I could not bring myself to leave afterwards. I was too worried for your wellbeing."

He looked at the scroll on his desk. "Hn," He kneeled down in front of his desk and picked it up as she set a cup of tea in front of him. He slid his claw along Kouga's seal to break it and unraveled the short seal.

_No attack was attempted this night. How did your battle fair?_

_Kouga_

_Lord of the Eastern Lands_

Sara nosily peered over at the parchment. She raised her grey eyes to look at her mate-to-be. "How will you respond?" She asked, trying to engage him in conversation.

"With the truth," He responded and pulled the scroll down further to write on the blank part of the parchment. He dipped his brush in the small container of ink and began his response.

_Minimal losses. _

She furrowed her brow. "That is all there is to say? What happened last night, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He rolled the scroll back up, poured a glob of wax onto it, and carved a crescent moon into it. "Do not worry yourself with the matters of war, Sara-hime." He simply stated and went to rise to his feet, but stopped when she grasped the sleeve of his haori.

"Please, Sesshoumaru-sama," She whispered. "Please speak to me. I feel as if I am as useless as a newborn babe."

**_'A pup would be more desirable company.'_** His beast chimed in, making Sesshoumaru's eyelids flutter in annoyance.

He met her gaze and moved back into a sitting position, his knee propped up as his arm rested upon it. "Ask your questions." He commanded, jaw clenching.

He had too many thoughts and issues running through his head at the moment. Honestly, he was beginning to feel a little stressed. He knew there was something off about the last battle, but he didn't know what Naraku was planning. Inuyasha had broken his sword, thus unbalancing his youki, and he had to leave the West to honor a promise to his deceased sire. Also, his beast was becoming much too active for his own good and it was starting to become a problem. To trouble him further, Asano Souske was to be arriving in eleven days so he had to please the female in front of him.

She smiled sweetly at him. "Thank you," She bowed her head in respect. "You were gone for a long while after your troops came back. Did something happen?"

He remained silent for a moment. He did not wish for everyone to know of Inuyasha's secret. If the information got into the wrong hands, he could only imagine the turmoil. "Inuyasha was wounded." He replied curtly.

She blinked. "Oh, does he fare well now?" She asked, tilting her head. "How strange for him to be wounded when many of your other troops returned without a scratch."

"I will check on his progress later in the day," He answered. "Tessaiga was broken, so he was unarmed."

"Poor Inuyasha-sama," She shook her head. "And how do you fare, my love?"

"Fine," He glanced at her again. "But, I will be leaving for a few days when Inuyasha awakens."

She frowned deeply and let her shoulder slump. "Where will you be going?"

"With the miko to Totosai's dwelling," He responded and caught the way she straightened her shoulders, a distrustful glint shining in her grey eyes. It would not bode well for her to report to her father that he was taking a leave of absence with the miko. "I will be going with Inuyasha and Rin. The miko and Totosai are going to fix Tessaiga."

She let her shoulders relax again. "Oh, I see," She smiled a little. "Why will you bring Rin-hime?"

"The bond between us is still strengthening. She cannot be separated from me for an extended amount of time without being in pain." It was true. He could be gone for a day or two, but any longer and he would feel the pull in chest and know she too was in pain.

She nodded. "Hai, it is better if she goes with you then. Who shall lead in your stead?"

"Ryura. I trust him to make the correct decisions in my absence." Having enough of the questions, he rose to his feet and looked down at her. "It has been an eventful night. I must rest for a few hours."

She stood up as well and brushed off her sleeping yukata. "I understand, Sesshoumaru-sama," She began and then moved forward and reached up on the tips of her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. "Sleep well, my love."

He watched her leave his room and then ran his claws through his bangs and into his hair. He could only hope she would not start more rumors when he was gone.

*~~~SSS~~~*

"Ahh," Kagome cooed as she sunk into the waters of the guest hot spring. "This is just what I needed!" She sighed contently and submerged herself deeper into the water, letting her body get consumed by the warmth. When she resurfaced, she smiled and leaned back against the ledge of the spring. She picked at a rose petal as it floated by her and lifted the velvety object to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent that tinged the waters.

"Do you enjoy the roses from the garden?" Ryura asked.

The miko yelped in surprise at his voice and sunk deeper into the water until it was up to her neck. "R-R-Ryura-kun!" She scolded. "What are you doing here?!"

He lifted a brow at her and let a sly smirk tilt his lips. "You are in the public hot spring of the castle, Kagome-chan."

Her eyes widened and her face turned bright red when he began to remove his robe. "W-wait! I'm done! I will get out so you can bathe!" She said and moved towards the ledge again, but froze when she realized she would be exposing herself if she got out of the water. She turned back to him. "T-turn around!"

"Nonsense. We can bathe together." He said as he removed his robe and tossed it to the floor. He let out a snort when she squealed in dismay. "Kagome-chan, have you never seen a male's body?"

"Do not tease me, Ryura-kun!" She shouted at him, mortified at her own innocence and his boldness. "Turn around so I can get out!"

He smirked. "No. If you wish to get out, then do so, but I shall watch."

She glared at him. "You are evil." With a sigh, she moved to the way opposite side of the hot spring to stay away from him. "Fine. I will stay, but you stay over there!"

"I make no promises," Ryura replied and untied his braid, letting his steel-blue hair fall free into the warm water.

She pouted in stubborn silence as she watched him, thankful that _that_ was at least hidden from her view. Still, she could not stop her eyes as they roamed over his person. They started at his bare neck and strong shoulders before moving down the part of his chiseled chest that was exposed. She couldn't help but note all the scars that adorned it. It reminded her just how old he may be and how many battles he might have faced.

"Like what you see?" He asked with a grin.

She blushed and looked away. "I was just looking at your scars."

He ran his hand over the large one that ran across his chest. "I told you I have seen many battles."

"I know, but it is still a shock to see the evidence of them." She replied and looked down at the water. They sat in silence for a while before she decided to bring up their fight. "Ryura-kun, about earlier…"

He sighed. "I apologize, Kagome-chan, my instincts got the better of me. I know it is no excuse, but it was actually a compliment."

"Instinct? Compliment?" She blinked. "How so? I felt truly offended."

"I know," He admitted. "But dragon youkai react that way when they find something they treasure. We get extremely possessive over that object," He froze when he noticed her eyes hardening at his choice of words. "No, no, I am not saying you are an _object_, that is not what I meant."

"That is sure how it sounded." She murmured, crossing her arms over her chest under the water.

He moved closer to her and took her hand into his, much to her mortification at their close proximity when they were both very naked. "I am trying to say that you are a treasure to me and I wish to keep you safe."

She blinked and then gave him a small smile. "Really?" She asked.

He nodded and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. "Really."

"I am sorry for getting so upset then. I just do not like the idea of _belonging_ to anyone. I am my own person." She replied.

"And I must learn to respect that as well as keep in mind that you are not accustomed to youkai customs." He replied.

"What do you mean?" She wasn't, she knew that, but was there a certain aspect that was seriously lacking knowledge in?

"Youkai are very possessive of the person they deem as their intended," He murmured, slightly embarrassed to be admitting that he wanted her to be his. "It is instinct."

She let the pieces of his confession click into place and blushed. "You want me to be your…?"

He nodded. "I have found no one as suitable as you."

"I-I do not know what to say, Ryura-kun." She breathed. She wasn't sure if she was ready to take that kind of leap. They really hadn't known each other for very long.

"Then do not say anything as of yet," The dragon replied and moved his face close to hers. "But, I must ask for you to allow me to make it up to you and prove that I want you."

She felt butterflies at how close their lips were and gave a small nod. "You can make it up to me." She breathed, but never dreamed what exactly he had in store for her until he crushed his lips down over hers and pressed her small body back against the ledge. She panicked as she felt a bulge against her hip.

He dipped his tongue into her mouth and ran his hands down her body until they rested on her waist. "Do not fret, Kagome-chan," He breathed huskily in her ear. "I will not force you into anything you do not wish, but I am going to make it up to you." He effortlessly lifted her from the water and laid her back onto the floor.

Kagome subconsciously brought up her knees and pressed them together while her hands went to cover her chest. She felt so vulnerable and self-conscious. No one had seen her naked except her mother, and that was decades ago when she was still alive. She flushed with embarrassment when Ryura pried her hands off her chest and put them above her head. She furrowed her brow unsurely when he began to run his calloused hands down her skin, stopping to let them rest on her breasts.

She bit down on her lip when he gave them a firm squeeze before taking her hardened nipples between his thumbs and pointer fingers. Her breath hitched slightly when he rolled them between his fingers and pinched them gently, giving them a rosy hue. Her stomach dropped when she felt one of his hands begin to travel down her ribs and to her stomach before lowering further to her groin. She felt a brief moment of panic once again, but it went to the back of her mind when he placed a kiss to her breast before running his tongue over it.

She closed her eyes as he did and let a small gasp escape her lips. She jumped slightly when he took it between his teeth and bit down. The nervousness came back full force though when she felt his hands move to part her legs.

"R-Ryura-kun…" She breathed. "I am not sure…"

"Hush," He commanded and used his strength to push her legs apart. "Trust me."

Her chest heaved as he moved his head from her breast to her groin. She pursed her lips together and lifted her head a bit to try and see what he was going to do, but instantly threw it back against the floor when she felt his tongue run along her slit.

What was that feeling? She had never experience something like that before!

She opened her mouth, letting out hisses of sucked in breaths when he continued to stroke his tongue along her lips. She jumped and let out a moan when he rolled his tongue along the oh-so sensitive bundle of nerves at the top of her woman hood. She could not believe how amazing his ministrations felt.

Was this what she was missing by being unwed?

She tried to muffle her next moan by covering her mouth with her hand as he sucked on her clit. Her hips thrust up a bit of their own accord, thus encouraging him without her consent, not that she completely minded. She felt his claws trace the insides of her thighs, making her muffle another moan at the sensation.

"Do not hide your pleasure."

She felt her stomach tighten with butterflies when he growled dangerously against her sensitive flesh. She balled her hands into fists as she felt the pad of his thumb replace his tongue, his warm flesh beginning to rub her clit in circles. She felt something within her begin to coil and knew that she was going to reach her peak soon.

She was twenty-three springs; she was not _completely_ naïve to the touch of her body, but she had not been able to enjoy the pleasures of it when she lived with a youkai. She would not risk embarrassing herself or Toto-ji by doing something so private in their quarters. He was a youkai, there was no way he would _not_ know that she was doing something.

The coil within her tightened almost painfully as his thumb quickened its massage, his tongue once again running along her womanhood and poking at her entrance. His free hand reached up and squeezed her breast, which helped bring her to her peak. Her back arched off the ground, her head tilting way back as wave after wave began to crash over her, raking her body and making it spasm.

Ryura greedily lapped up her sweet, virginal nectar as it seeped out of her. He never thought she would taste as pleasant as she did, but relished in the fact that she did. Once he cleaned up her juices, he lifted his head to gaze at her. Her chest was flushed prettily, her nipples almost teasing him once again as they bobbed up and down with her heavy breathing. His eyes went to her red cheeks and the way her lips parted as she panted.

He captured her lips in a needy kiss, letting her taste herself. His member throbbed painfully when she subconsciously licked her lips when he pulled away. "Did I make my point?"

She swallowed dryly. "Y-you are forgiven," She murmured and pushed her knees together when he moved back, her hands coming up to her chest again. Just because he did what he did, didn't mean she was still comfortable being exposed.

He smirked and waded away from her, trying to calm his throbbing manhood. "Good," He began. "But that is only the beginning."

She blushed at what he was hinting at and forced herself to sit up before sinking back into the water. She gently rubbed at her womanhood, cleaning up the remaining traces of her climax, and jumped ever so slightly when she grazed the still very sensitive bundle of nerves. Maybe she was a little glad to be taking a break from Ryura, she wasn't sure she could handle another…_episode_ so soon.

She blinked when she realized she hadn't spoken to him about leaving. "Oh, Ryura-kun, I forgot to tell you," She began and lowered deeper into the water to cover herself once again. "I am leaving with Sesshoumaru tomorrow to head back to my house."

He turned sharply towards her, his eyes narrowed. "What?" His tone was curt and almost cold.

She blinked at his sudden change in demeanor. "I-Inuyasha is coming too. We have to fix Tessaiga; we are the only ones that can fix it."

He relaxed slightly at the mention of Inuyasha. There was no way his lord would do anything to his miko when his half-brother was around, right? "I see. Well, hopefully it will be a quick enough process."

She nodded. "We will have to see what Toto-ji says. He is the one who made it, after all."

"I assume Sesshoumaru wants me to stay here and lead?"

"That is what he said." She shrugged and then yawned tiredly. How long had she been up? After traveling to the West, fighting Goshinki, and…_that_, she was exhausted. "I think I am going to go to sleep, Ryura-kun. I am very tired."

Ryura looked at his sleepy miko and smiled a little. He turned around to appease her. "Then go, I will see you off later today."

She smiled at his back and pulled herself from the water. She pulled on her robe and tied it shut. "See you, Ryura-kun." She murmured tiredly and walked from the room.

The guard turned and watched her go and let his smile drop off his face after she left. May the Kami grant him the strength to not rip apart his lord should she come back reeking of him.


	23. Plots

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Twenty-Three: Plots

The taiyoukai of West slid his traveling armor onto place before tying his obi around the middle. As he exited his private chambers, he made a sharp left towards the infirmary, trying to avoid Sara as she tried to hug him. Much to his irritation, she began to follow him down the hall.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, good morning," She said cheerfully, reaching forward to wrap her arms around his left one. "Ohh, I dread your parting!"

"Hn," His arm stiffened within her grasp. "It is necessary." His eyes locked onto the female in front of him as she stumbled into the main hall. "Servant."

Eri blinked at the deep voice of her lord and immediately dropped into a low bow. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"What is your name?" He asked, approaching her while dragging Sara with him.

"It is Eri, Sesshoumaru-sama." She replied, still bent into a bow.

He nodded once as he stored the name into his memory. "You will get Rin prepped for travel. We shall be leaving shortly. Also, make sure the miko is ready as well. We cannot leave without her."

She bowed her head in acknowledgment. "Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama. Shall I have them wait for you at the front gates?"

"That is acceptable." He replied before moving on past her towards the infirmary. Now, he had to carefully construe his words as to not make the miko look guilty. "I remember that servant."

"Oh?" Sara asked, smiling up at him as he began a conversation with her. This was definitely a first!

"Indeed. Though, she seemed to have more passion for her job the last time I looked upon her." He noted, casting a glance down at her steel eyes.

She blinked. "Passion? What do you mean?"

"Emotion. She was much more…_cheerful_ when speaking to me." He clarified. "Any suggestion as to why the human would change her ways so suddenly?"

She pursed her lips together. "Oh, yes, it is probably because I had a strict talk with all of the servants in their mannerism."

He stopped walking, making her stop as well. "You did what?"

At his tone, she panicked. "Umm, well, you know how I told you how my maids embarrassed me?"

"Continue."

"You know that they were speaking cruelly about me to one another! So, I had to take action! I was just so embarrassed! I-"

"Get to the point, Hime." His amber eyes narrowed at her.

"I took control of the situation and told them that they were not allowed to speak familiarly with those of higher position. That they were not to have relationships with any of us." She answered, releasing his arm and shying away from him.

Sesshoumaru shot his hand out and grabbed her by the arm before dragging her to him once again. "You need to learn your place, Hime. This is my Kingdom, not yours. Everyone in this dwelling is under my rule, including you. Do not overstep your boundaries again or there will be consequence."

Feeling brave, she glared back at him. "They are mind to command as well! I am to be Lady of the West!"

A growl rumbled in his chest. "You are not Lady of West _yet_."

She stared into his heated gaze and felt his grip tighten on her upper arm. Her resolve weakened and her bottom lip trembled before she nodded once. "Gomen, Sesshoumaru-sama." She cried.

He released her and, as he turned back to continue on his way to the medical wing, heard her subtle threat. "Do not forget that my father will be here in ten day rises." She murmured, rubbing her arm.

If only he could forget.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Kagome stretched her arms high above her head, humming as she did with a wide smile on her face. Ah, the long slumber was much needed after being awake for such a long period of time. She smiled up at Ryura as he all but sulked next to her. She reached her hand out and patted his arm.

"Do not look so sad, Ryura-kun," She said softly. "We will see each other again."

He took her hand within his own and frowned down at her. "That is not what I am concerned about."

She tilted her head to the side. "Eh? Then what are you afraid of?"

He shook his head. There was no point bringing up the Sesshoumaru thing again. She had proven her point the night before the last battle. "Nothing; never mind. I just do not look forward to your absence."

The miko smiled as he raised her hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of it. "Time will pass quickly." She reassured him.

"Kagome-neesan!" Rin cheered as she ran over to her.

"Good morning, Rin-chan!" Kagome replied and removed her hand from the dragon's to smooth out the girl's hair as she was hugged. "Did you come to bid me farewell?"

She shook her head, a wide smile lighting her face. "No, silly! I am to travel with you!"

"Eh?" She asked, blinking. This was the first time she was hearing of this. She thought it was only going to be her and the inuyoukai brothers.

"Rin shall be accompanying us," Kagome turned to see Sesshoumaru approaching them, a very haggard looking Inuyasha sauntering behind him, and a pouting Sara next to him. "She cannot be apart from me for an extended amount of time yet."

"Oh," She blinked and then gave a smile. "Okay. I don't think Toto-ji should mind. We will make room."

"We shall camp outside." He replied and then accepted his sword from Sara to place in his obi. She had begged him to allow her to carry his sword until the gates. Why? He was not sure, but chose not to question it.

She waved her hand in front of her face. "No, no, you are my guests," She smiled and then turned to Inuyasha. "How are you feeling, Inu-kun?"

He lifted his head, met her blue orbs for a moment, and then looked away, his ears flattening against his head. "Fine."

"Are you sure?" She asked, frowning.

"Yeah." He murmured.

Sesshoumaru took a single glance between the two before beginning to stroll forward. "Let us begin our journey."

Putting Inuyasha's odd behavior aside for a moment, she turned to look at Ryura once more. "Well, I guess that is my cue. Ja ne, Ryura-kun."

He pulled her into an embrace and inhaled her clean scent. It was too bad she did not smell of him as she did last night. The extra evidence that she was his would have been nice with his lord around her. "I shall see you soon, Kagome-chan," he began and pulled from her slightly. He raised his hand to her cheek and bent to press a kiss to her lips. "Travel safely." He breathed against her lips.

She blushed at the open display of affection and pulled away from him embarrassingly. "H-hai; I will." She said softly and gave him a small smile before moving to stand beside Sesshoumaru.

The taiyoukai tried to keep the glare from his face as his beast growled within him. "Ryura, I once again entrust the West to you. Do not let me down."

Ryura bowed. "Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama." He replied, a smirk tilting up his lips.

Sara stepped forward, but dared not touch her love after their interaction earlier. "Safe travels, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Indeed." He replied and began walking, the miko on one side of him and his acquired pup on the other while Inuyasha stalked behind them.

*~~~SSS~~~*

"The mutt has left the West with the human female you mentioned."

Naraku raised his crimson colored orbs from the scene of his graveyard courtyard to the voice above him. "Is it just them?" He questioned.

The man dropped from the curved roof and landed on the porch in a crouch in front of the hanyou. "No. Inuyasha and a kid are with them." He replied and straightened up, towering over Naraku. "The kid is human. Perhaps she is the female's child?"

His lips pressed into a thin line. "If it is, then I doubt she is a miko. At least, not any more. I have not heard of any miko retaining their powers after giving up their purity." He growled clenched his fist. "The Taijiya and monk shall pay for their deceit."

"You don't know for sure if it is her child," He shrugged and leaned against the pillar. "Why are you so obsessed with this woman?"

"I do not expect you, a bandit, to comprehend my motives." Naraku spat back. "But, if you must know, I am searching for a miko."

"Why?" Bankotsu asked, raising a brow as he let the insult slide. "Aren't youkai supposed to keep away from miko?"

The hanyou snapped his fingers, summoning Kanna to him. "I am searching for something." He replied shortly, ending the conversation there. When Kanna appeared before him, he turned to her. "Show me again the scene of Inuyasha defeating Goshinki."

"Hai, Naraku-sama," She breathed and tilted her mirror. It rippled for a second before replaying the scene from yesterday.

"Look carefully, Bankotsu. Tell me what you see." Naraku nodded towards the mirror.

Bankotsu's blue eyes stared at the mirror and watched as the Western prince turned savage after his sword was broken. He then watched as Naraku's minion was torn to pieces effortlessly. He took note of how Inuyasha then turned on the woman, making the Western Lord come to her rescue.

"It seems he loses himself when he is defenseless; reverts back to primitive ways." He met Naraku's gaze. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you and your group to attack them when they are traveling. If you can, find out about the child and who she belongs to." He replied and then looked at Kanna. "You will go with them. When you can, take that woman's soul."

"What is our payment?" Bankotsu asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "We don't do things for free."

"If you are successful in what I asked you to do, you shall be rewarded with money and women. Should you kill the Western Lord, you shall have the West." He answered, leaning back against the shoji door. "Do we have a deal?"

The leader of the Band of Seven nodded. "Sounds good to me," He grinned and then stepped off the porch into the dreary courtyard. "I'm sure this one will report to you when we have completed our task." He jerked his thumb to Kanna as she stood next to him.

"She will be reporting everything to me," Naraku answered. "Make sure you do not fail me."

"Yeah, yeah," He rolled his eyes and departed from the manor.

"What's the plan, Bankotsu-sama?" Renkotsu asked, tying his bandana around his bald head. His eyes fell on the white-haired girl. "What's with the child? Are we going to work for the Southern lord after all? Was that what the meeting was about?"

"I think it would be a smart move," Bankotsu replied, sitting down on a large flat rock in the clearing of their camp. "But, I would like to talk it over with you. I may be clever, but you are the brains for this group."

The second-in-command of the seven of them, stood in front of him. "What does he want us to do to with the Western Lord?"

The youngest of the men let sly smile cross his lips. "I should have known that nothing gets past you."

Renkotsu raised a brow. "Did you really think that Jakotsu reporting to you that Sesshoumaru had left the West was not going to raise a flag? I thought that we were not going to get involved in the war between the South and West."

"I do not appreciate your reprimanding tone, Renkotsu." He crossed his legs on the rock and rested a hand on each knee. "He promises us wealth and women if we complete the mission he assigned us and said we can take the West should we kill the lord."

Renkotsu sighed softly. "Have you truly thought about this, Bankotsu-sama? To go against a taiyoukai?" How was he to take over the Band of Seven if their young leader sent them on a death mission?

"I am not saying we are going to go straight for his heart, but if we can, we should dispose of him. Imagine it, Renkotsu, the entire West for just us! It will be our ultimate achievement." He smirked, thinking about the possibilities.

He eyed his leader carefully. Perhaps the Western lord would kill him and take care of the problem for him first. "How would you like to handle this?" He asked, giving him a small smile for support.

"Send Kyoukotsu and Ginkotsu," He responded and stood from his rock. "I will leave the details to you."

'_Damn_.' He cursed internally. Of course he would use his best friend in his ridiculous plans.

"Hai, Bankotsu-sama." He bowed in response and then straightened as Bankotsu disappeared into his tent.

He would somehow make this work to his advantage.


	24. Sneak Attack

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Twenty-Four: Sneak Attack

"So, what are we to do, exactly?" Kyoukotsu asked, following Renkotsu as he walked forward through the forest. "And why does Bankotsu-sama find interest in them? Do they have something we want?"

Renkotsu cast a glance over his shoulder, looking over Ginkotsu and up at the giant. "We are to follow Bankotsu-sama's orders and attack the group of travelers. You two will focus on attacking the youkai. I will deal with the human females and hanyou."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Youkai, hm? I will just eat them then! It has been a while since I fed!" He grinned menacingly, two rows of jagged teeth showing as his lips parted.

"You just ate a few oni who fed upon beasts," The gunman looked back forward as he pondered the way he was going to handle this attack. Before he and his companions departed from their camp site that morning Bankotsu had told him what he needed to do. Somehow, he needed to find out if the child was the female's and make Inuyasha revert to his primitive state. Hm, it was difficult for him to decide on how to do such things when he knew nothing of their enemy.

"Gaaash, what did you come up with, Renkotsu-niisama?" Ginkotsu asked in his mechanical tone. He did not question his fellow brother. He always knew best.

"I would have to study them first in order to find out if the woman is a miko or mother of the child. Otherwise, I think an ambush would be best suited for this mission. Bankotsu had said that Inuyasha was extremely vulnerable at the moment with his weapon broken so I think we should make our move as soon as possible." He answered and then brought them to a halt.

"Why are we stopping? You said as soon as possible so let's go!" The giant man protested.

Renkotsu glared at him and motioned for him to get down. "These trees are only so tall and they are headed this way. We can't do a sneak attack if your height gives us away." He retorted and then turned to Ginkotsu. "I want you to start off with your wires. Go ahead a few paces and lace wire across the road so their path is blocked. Once you are done, wait on the other side of the road."

"Gaaash," He nodded and then walked on to accomplish his task.

"What about me, eh?" Kyoukotsu asked, all but lying on the forest floor to keep himself hidden.

"Once Ginkotsu is done, we shall split up on opposite sides of the path. You shall stay here on this side with me, Ginkotsu will wait on the other. We will attack at the same time." He answered and pulled his cannon from his back. He filled it with his gunpowder and prepped his fire wires.

"When do I get to eat them?" He asked again, running his tongue along his sharpened teeth.

"Calm yourself, Kyoukotsu." He scolded. "Let Ginkotsu and I handle it first, then you will know when to step in."

"Fine," He rumbled, crossing his arms on the floor. "As long as I get my meal."

Renkotsu narrowed his eyes in disgust at his companion before focusing back in on his weapons. He still wasn't sure how he would make this attack work to advantage. He wished to take control of the Band of Seven, and he planned to use this opportunity as his chance, but it wouldn't be possible since their leader wasn't there. Perhaps he should just carryout his mission and plan his take over for a later time. Surely he could out smart Bankotsu any day.

He was roused from his musings when he heard the faint humming of a child. He quickly gathered his weapons and moved on to where Ginkotsu's wire trap was, Kyoukotsu crawling after him.

*~~~SSS~~~*

"Are we there yet, Kagome-neesan?" Rin asked, moving behind Sesshoumaru to stand next to her.

Kagome smiled down at the little girl. "Not yet, Rin-chan. It is a few more hours East of here." She replied and then watched as she nodded and skipped forward in front of the group, humming an upbeat tune. She tilted her head to the side. "What song is that, Rin-chan?"

She turned and looked over her shoulder. "It is a song that Rin's mother used to sing to her. Rin does not remember the words, but the tune is always with Rin."

The miko gave a small smile. "I see. It is a lovely song indeed."

Rin grinned at the compliment and turned forward once more as she skipped ahead. She was stopped suddenly though when she felt herself run into a web of hard threads. She fell back on her rump and blinked up in front of her. What was that?

"Rin-chan!" Kagome called worryingly and moved to her side, kneeling down next to her. "Are you alright?" She looked ahead of them and saw the gleam of the sun reflecting off the many crisscrossing metal threads.

What was going on? What was this web of metal?

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha paused, instantly on guard as the scent of people filled their nostrils.

"You think this is a coincidence?" Inuyasha muttered, spreading his legs into a defensive position.

"No," the taiyoukai replied. "I believe they knew we were coming." In a brief second, he heard the click of a trigger to his right and relied on his instincts to quickly move him back. The whizzing sound of a bullet passing by him let him know he had dodged it. "Gunfire."

"Gunfire?" The hanyou asked, ears flattening against his skull. "Isn't that the new kind of weapons the North has been working on?"

Sesshoumaru heard a rustle of bushes to his left and quickly turned towards Kagome and Rin. Right as he moved forward to protect them, a stream of fire shot across the dirt between them, making him stop. He growled and turned towards the left where the fire came from, but couldn't see anyone. To make matters worse, the scent of the fire wall in front of him over powered that of peoples' scents around him.

"Argh!"

He turned sharply to see Inuyasha clutching his shoulder, blood running down the sleeve of his haori. A shimmering metal caught the corner of his eye as it flew through the air and he followed it to the right side of the path. His eyes darted between both sides of the path and drew Bakusaiga as he heard another scatter to his right.

"Inuyasha, get to Rin and the miko," He ordered as he disappeared into the right side of the forest.

The hanyou prince watched his brother leave before he turned and leapt over the fire wall to where the girls were. "You guys okay?"

Kagome nodded and looked down at Rin who nodded as well. She then glanced back up at him. "Hai. What is going on over there? I heard bang noises."

"Looks like we were ambushed. Sesshoumaru went to handle it." He replied and then instantly stiffened when he smelt the familiar scent of lantern oil. He quickly hunched over the girls as another stream of fire blew at them. When it stopped, he rose back onto his feet unscathed and looked around.

"Well, well, what an interesting material you have there," Renkotsu mused as he entered the small clearing between the wires and fire wall. "A fire repelling cloth is a new one for me."

"Yeah, well, now you've see one," Inuyasha remarked and pulled off the haori before tossing it at Kagome. "Cover yourselves with this until I finish this guy off."

"Won't you need it?" She asked with a frown as she covered Rin with it first.

"Keh, I'll be fine, woman." He replied and cracked his knuckles as he turned towards Renkotsu. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Who I am is of no importance to you," He replied and laced his fingers with his wires. "All that matters is that I am going to kill you."

"That's a lot of talk for someone who had to ambush people to get the upper hand." Inuyasha snapped.

Renkotsu smirked. "No, we just had to separate you in order to get what we want." He replied and sprawled his fingers out before thrashing his hands out, sending the many whips of wires towards Inuyasha and the girls.

Rin squealed and curled into Kagome's chest as the whips shot towards them. Kagome covered Rin completely in the haori, hoping her armor would take enough of the blow. She was surprised though, when Inuyasha reached towards them, allowing two of whips to wrap around his forearm while he sliced at the other with his claws.

"Aren't you the noble one?" Renkotsu mocked and clenched his hands together, causing the whips to ignite in fire.

Inuyasha winced at the sudden fire biting at his arm, but used to claws to cut them off. Ignoring the burn in his arm, he charged at Renkotsu, claws readied to attack. He needed to finish this fight before his youkai side got the better of him. Sesshoumaru had explained to him what had happened after Tessaiga broke and he did not want a repeat of the incident. He couldn't imagine losing himself again and hurting someone close to him.

Reacting quickly, Renkotsu pulled his cannon from his back and began to open fire on the hanyou. He smirked as he caught Inuyasha off guard with his explosives, one catching him in the chest and sending him sprawling back against the gravel path. As Inuyasha rolled on the ground, putting a hand to his chest, he walked forward, keeping his cannon balanced on his shoulder with one hand.

He looked down at the wounded inuyoukai and smirked in triumph. "Now, I will finish you off and then finish my business with the girls."

"Like hell you will!" Inuyasha spat suddenly and put his weight on his shoulders as he rolled back and kicked Renkotsu in the stomach. "Back off!"

Renkotsu stumbled back with a curled up lip and began to fire at the hanyou once again. When he realized he kept easily avoiding his attacks, he turned to the women and began to fire. He would hurt the western prince one way or another.

Kagome's eyes widened as Inuyasha was suddenly hovering over them, his face inches from hers as he took the attacks to his back. "Inu-kun…"

"G-gomen," He murmured before he coughed, blood splattering from his mouth and onto her cheek. With a groan, he fell to the side, falling unconscious.

"Inuyasha-ojisan!" Rin cried, tears welling in her eyes as she looked at her uncle beaten and bloodied next to them.

"Pity, I thought he would turn." Renkotsu mused and then looked at the girls. "Oh well, I guess I will come for what I wanted. You there, woman."

The miko tensed and tightened her hold on Rin as she looked at the man with the purple stripes down his face. "What do you want?"

"To simply know if that is your daughter and if you are a miko." He remarked as he squatted down in front of them. He laughed as she quickly threw up a barrier, the shimmering pink not allowing him access to her or Rin. "Never mind, you answered both questions just now."

Her brow furrowed. "Why do you need that kind of information?"

The pyro rose back up to his feet. "Do not fret." With that, he turned from them and began to walk away. He made it a few feet until he felt a sharp pain carving deep into the flesh of is back. "Ugh…" He fell forward, stumbling until he caught his footing. He turned around, eyes widening as he saw a very feral Inuyasha staring at him with raised bloodied claws.

He quickly reached for his canteen of lantern oil and took a sip before breathing out fire on the hanyou. When he pulled back slightly, he took it as his chance to flee. Technically he had done as asked. He had turned Inuyasha and gotten the information for Naraku. He would let Ginkotsu and Kyoukotsu deal with them as he reported to Bankotsu.

Kagome's heart hammered in her chest as she watched the human man leave, leaving her and Ring with Inuyasha. It was just two days ago that she had experienced Inuyasha's change and she knew what it would bring. She would remain quiet, try to not draw attention to her and Rin, but she knew it couldn't last long. It was only time before his nose caught their scent and he turned on them.

When he did, Rin met his crimson eyes and let out a terrified scream.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Sesshoumaru's sensitive pointed ears picked up Rin's scream and their bond pulsed within his chest, demanding he go protect his pack. He had to get to the others, especially now that he could feel Inuyasha's youki.

He narrowed his eyes at the half mechanical being and raised Bakusaiga. He had had enough of this. All he had being doing was avoiding the bomb attacks and circular saws the half-man threw at him. As the arrow spear headed straight towards him, he dodged it as it sprung open, and headed straight for Ginkotsu. He flared his sword with its green power and swung, sending a wave of the youki at the creature.

"Gaaash." Ginkotsu fell back as his torso was split horizontally, separating his body into two parts.

Sesshoumaru, keeping Bakusaiga unsheathed, sped quickly towards where he left his traveling party. When he arrived, he saw Inuyasha clawing at the miko's barrier, feral snarls and growls erupting from his throat. In a flash, he grabbed Inuyasha by the throat and pinned him to the ground. He dropped Bakusaiga for a moment to swing his arm back and punch his half-brother hard in the face.

"Ah! Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin sobbed, so happy to see her father-like figure back and protecting them.

He released the unconscious Inuyasha and picked up Bakusaiga before looking at them. "Are you harmed?" He asked.

"No, we are-" The little girl cut herself off promptly as the ground beneath them began to shake.

Kagome held Rin to her once again as the ground began to give way beneath them for a brief second. Suddenly, a large hand wrapped around them from the soil, lifting them up as the rest of the person emerged from the ground. She winced as the hand tightened into a fist crushing them together.

"S-Sesshoumaru-samaaaa!" Rin screamed in pain, tears falling down her cheeks, causing the beast inside of Sesshoumaru to rile. Golden pools flashed red as his instincts to protect his pack overwhelmed him. He had never experienced such an overpowering feeling to protect someone as he did at that moment. It had to be from the new bond they shared; the fact that it was still so fragile must be making him feel that way.

"Ah, what do I have here? Hmm? You're not youkai!" Kyoukotsu mused, staring at the two girls within his grasp. "I wonder if you still taste good?" He opened his mouth, moving his hand towards it with every intention of devouring them.

Sesshoumaru growled and launched himself at the giant, swinging his leg hard at his face and knocking him to the ground, causing it to shake from the impact. He then swung Bakusaiga at the arm that was holding the girls, slicing into it and making him release them.

Kagome helped Rin to her feet and then ushered her to hide. Now that she didn't have to worry about keeping Rin safe, she unsheathed her own sword and moved forward to help Sesshoumaru. She froze though, when his red eyes landed on her. "Sesshoumaru?"

"Stay back. I will handle this. Take Rin somewhere safe." He commanded before he turned back to his enemy.

"But, Sesshoumaru-" She lowered her sword and frowned.

"Go!" He laced Bakusaiga with his youki once more and unleashed a wave of it as the man began to stand.

Kyoukostu glared down at him and grabbed the handle of his flail and swung the massive ball at Sesshoumaru. The taiyoukai sliced through the chain that bound the ball to the handle and leapt towards the man's head. He flipped Bakusaiga upside down before stabbing it into his skull.

Once it was done, he landed on the road silently and sheathed Bakusaiga as he made his way over to the girls. When he saw the way Rin cowered from him, he had to take a deep, calming breath to let the red recede from his eyes. "I did not mean to frighten you." He said, tone calm.

She shyly glanced up at him and felt a deep sigh of relief leave her at the sight of his amber orbs again. She moved forward, but stopped a few feet from him. She bowed a little before giving him a large smile. "Rin is happy Sesshoumaru-sama is well."

He reached out and placed his hand on her head. "Indeed."

_FWOOP FWOOP_

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as an excruciating pain ripped through his left arm. A howl ripped through his lips, shaking his body as his beast threatened to take over out of instinct. He looked over at where the blades had come from and saw that Ginkotsu had crawled over to the clearing.

"Gaaash, you should have killed me when you had the chance." The mechanical man chastised and released the last four of his spinning blades.

Sesshoumaru pushed Rin away from him with his right arm and jumped back to dodge the attacks. Though he knew he shouldn't have, he looked down at his left arm to see that it was no longer attached to his body. At this discovery, a whole new level of rage and pain shook his body. His green youki swirled around him dangerously, whipping his hair around as the stripes on his cheeks turned jagged, his fangs elongating. Whips and waves of his power lashed out around him as his beast began to take over. The mere force of his youki split Ginkotsu's head in two, killing him instantly.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin cried, but stayed back at a safe distance.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome called as his body began to glow with a white light.

The Western Lord had to get away. He was seriously wounded and had to get to a safer place. His mind began to think in erratic, incoherent patterns as instinct began to overpower thought.

**_'Safe. Safe. Hide. Run. In danger. Flee, flee, flee! Heal! Get away, get away!'_**

The miko could see the panic in Sesshoumaru's face. He looked like a wounded dog who just wanted to curl up and hide somewhere. She could tell by the way his crimson eyes darted back and forth, looking for an escape, and the way his chest heaving as his heart hammered in his chest.

Wherever he was planning on going, he couldn't be alone. Not with a wound like that. He wouldn't survive long, even with his healing capabilities. She slowly moved forward, trying not to startle him, and reached out with her hand to touch his right arm. "Sesshoumaru?"

**_'Danger. Danger. Danger. Go. Now!'_** With that, he shifted into his silver light ball and darted off into the sky, taking the miko with him and leaving Rin alone with her unconscious uncle.

**A/N: Many of you were not happy with the short chapter last time! Sorry, but I had to introduce the new side 'plot' to deliver this bad boy to you. This is going to start Sesshou and Kags' 'alone time' :)  
**

**-MissKatt**


	25. The Beauty Meets the Beast

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Beauty Meets the Beast

"Inuyasha-ojisan," Rin whispered, poking him in the shoulder with the long stick she had found along the forest line. She was scared to wake him up after she saw his red eyes earlier. She wasn't sure if he would wake up in the same state. However, the sun was setting, painting the clear sky with hues of reds and purples, and that meant that other youkai would be coming out.

She continued her prodding. "Inuyasha-ojisan!" She whispered louder, poking him harder in the cheek this time.

Inuyasha's hand flew to his face, smacking his cheek in the process. "No, Myouga," He mumbled in his sleep. "I don't wanna go to my studies…"

Rolling her eyes, and deeming her uncle safe enough, jabbed his forehead with the sharp stick. "Oji-san!"

The hanyou's eyes fluttered open, revealing glazed over amber orbs. He blinked a few times to clear his vision before his gaze landed on Rin. "What are you doing, Kid?" He asked, sitting up and rubbing his forehead. "What's going on?"

She frowned and squatted down on the ground, her arm wrapping around her knees while she drew in the dirt with her free hand. "Sesshoumaru-sama and Kagome-neesan are gone."

His ears perked up at that. "What do you mean, _gone_?"

"Sesshoumaru-sama was really wounded," She pointed with the stick to where her father-like figure's arm rested on the ground. "And he looked like you with the red eyes…"

"What the hell?" He murmured, looking at the limb. His brow then furrowed at the last thing she said. Damn! He had lost himself again to his youki, yes, but if what Rin said was correct, then Sesshoumaru's beast was coming out and that wasn't a good thing.

"Where did Sesshoumaru-sama take Kagome-neesan?" She asked quietly, tilting her head at her uncle.

He looked up at the sky. _And_ the miko was with him? That could go either way. "I don't know, Kid," He started and then looked at her sad expression. "But, hey, don't worry. It takes a lot to put Sesshoumaru down, and Kagome doesn't take things so easily either."

She nodded. "You are right, Oji-san. But, what are we to do now?"

Inuyasha glanced at the wire net in front of them and remembered what Kagome had said about only being a few hours south of her home. "Well, I guess we go to her home and wait for them to come." He shrugged.

Rin straightened up onto her feet and watched as Inuyasha began to cut through the metal wires in front of them. When he motioned for her to climb on his back, she complied. "How long do you think it will take for them to meet us?" She asked, putting her hands on her uncle's shoulders and he took off north.

His brows furrowed. "I'm not sure, Kid, but I'm sure they will be there as soon as possible."

Rin tightened her grip. "Rin is scared for Sesshoumaru-sama and Kagome-neesan."

'_Me too, Kid_.' He thought.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Bankotsu sat with Jakotsu on his bolder in their camp, laughing about some fickle detail about their past adventures. As Renkotsu entered the clearing, he turned to him with a large grin; nothing could foul his mood at that moment.

"Ah! Renkotsu! How did it go? Is the West ours?" He asked, patting Jakotsu on the shoulder when he said he had to leave.

Renkotsu sighed heavily. "I am afraid not, Bankotsu-sama. The Western Lord was too powerful for us. He killed our brethren."

The leader's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of their loss. "We shall give them proper burials. Did you find out what we needed?"

He nodded. "Hai, Bankotsu-sama, the child is not kin to the woman and she is in fact a miko."

"Naraku shall be pleased to hear that, I'm sure." He replied and then looked at the white haired girl a few feet from him. "Will you tell him of this?"

"Hai." She replied in her whisper voice and disappeared into the forest. When he was sure she was far enough away, he put his thumb and pointer finger to his chin. "I wonder why he is so interested in her."

Renkotsu lifted a brow. "Oh, what do you mean?"

"Naraku seems like he is obsessed with this woman. He said he is looking for something, but what could a miko possess that would intrigue a youkai so much?"

Renkotsu's eyes flashed with mischief as a new plot began to develop in his mind. Maybe he could get Naraku to kill him. Yes, that way his comrades would still respect him and follow him! It was perfect! "Hm, have you thought about what this could mean?"

Bankotsu's dark blue eyes met that of his second-in-command. "I have not thought much into it. What are you hinting at?"

"Well, Bankotsu-sama, he is putting a lot of effort into finding this item. Surely anything this troublesome would be quite worth the find." He suggested.

He frowned slightly at what he was getting at. "You think it would be worth getting our hands on."

Renkotsu shrugged. "I believe anything anyone is trying so hard to get is worth taking. And just think about it, who would be easier to defeat? A hanyou or a taiyoukai? Sesshoumaru killed Ginkotsu and Kyoukotsu as if they were nothing more than mere gnats."

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "We would be able to have the South if we could."

"We would also be stopping the war." He commented. "The Southern lands would surely praise such an accomplishment."

"This could be a big move for the Band of Seven." He replied. He looked up at Renkotsu. "We need to get this girl and find out what she has that Naraku wants."

"What shall you have me do, Bankotsu-sama?"

"Let us hold off on this plan for a little while." He decided with a nod.

Frustrated, Renkotsu frowned. "May I inquire as to why?"

"I want to make sure Naraku can trust us somewhat. We officially finished the job he wanted so I am thinking he is going to want us to do something else again soon. Plus, he still has to deliver our payment."

"When are you anticipating in striking then?" He inquired, not knowing how long he could keep his plan a secret.

Bankotsu stood from his boulder. "We need to wait until she's alone; it would be too risky to strike when Sesshoumaru is close to her."

Renkotsu nodded. "Very smart, Bankotsu-sama."

He smirked a little as he stretched his arms over his head. "It seems I'm catching up to you in the smarts area."

The second-in-command just smiled in response.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Kagome felt absolutely sick to her stomach. She wasn't sure what was going on, but it wasn't normal. She felt as if her whole body had been turned to liquid and was being dumped off the highest peak of a cliff. It had started in a blink of the eye, blinding white enveloping her and making her shut her eyes in fear. Her mind was reeling and she couldn't form a coherent thought. What was going on?

As soon as it started, it ended. She felt her feet touch the floor, but her legs gave out beneath her just as fast and she crumpled to the ground. She lay there in the grass, waiting for her body to go back to the way it was. Her limbs tingled as they tried to recover from the numbness, her nerves spazzing from the experience that she still was unsure of.

Once her body felt decent, she lifted her lids slowly, letting her eyes take in her surroundings. It soon became apparent to her that she wasn't where she was before. She pushed herself up on wobbly arms to roll over onto one hip so she could have a better look at her surroundings. She blinked a couple times when she saw Sesshoumaru leaning against a tree next to her, his head down with his bangs casting a shadow over his face.

"Se-" She paused when her voice came out raspy. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Sesshoumaru, are you alright?" When he remained silent, she crawled on her hands and knees towards him, not trusting her legs quite yet. "Sesshoumaru?"

A soft growl escaped him, but she ignored it. He had growled at her quite a few times by then and she had gotten used to it. When she was close enough, she tried to talk to him again. "Why are you not talking to me?"

Another growl was her response, this time louder.

"Stop growling at me! I am trying to ask you if you are alright! This is a serious injury, Sesshoumaru, we need to do something!" She snapped and removed her traveling pack from her back. She removed a spare cloth from her bag and reached forward to push the remaining part of his sleeve up.

In a flash, her wrist was caught in his iron grip. She let out a whimper as she flinched from the pressure on her wrist as well as the surprise attack. When she looked up at him, she felt the color drain from her face as blood red eyes stared down at her, turquoise pupils baring down into her soul and searing it. The two stripes on his cheeks had turned jagged, his fangs elongated as his lip curled back into a snarl.

She swallowed dryly. "S-Sesshoumaru…?"

His eyes narrowed down at her. "**What do you want?**"

Her brows furrowed at the rough tone of his voice. This didn't seem like the same Sesshoumaru. "I just wanted to see how your wound looked. Your arm…"

"**I know of its state**." The words rumbled in his chest. "**Are you here to challenge me**?"

"W-what? No! Sesshoumaru, I was concerned about you!" Kagome bit her bottom lip when he lowered his face to hers, another snarl marring his face.

"**Why should you be concerned of my welfare? I am wounded and thus a target. Admit you want what is mine**!" His grip tightened on her wrist.

She winced and tried to pull her arm away from him. "No, I wanted to see if I could help you!"

"**Lies. What is your ploy**?" He growled.

She shook her head, tears stinging her eyes as his claws sunk into her flesh. "I just want to help you, Sesshoumaru. We're friends, are we not?"

The scent of her tears assaulted him. It seemed somewhat familiar. He released her wrist and put his lone hand on the back of her neck, forcing her against him. His put his nose to the skin right below her ear and brushed it all the way down to where her haori started on her neck. He inhaled deeply and processed the scent. As he recognized it, he let a content growl rumble in his chest.

"**Miko**."

She was frozen against his chest, her eyes wide with what he had done. She wouldn't lie and say it hadn't made goose bumps rise on her arms, but she didn't understand _why_ it had. Still, after he rubbed his nose along her skin, he seemed to have calmed down a bit. "H-hai, Sesshoumaru, it is I." She felt another growl vibrate in his chest, but could tell it was not malicious.

"**I have waited a long while to meet you**." The beast continued, his nose now moving to her silky hair.

She furrowed her brow, trying to remain still as he smelled her hair. "You have known me for two moon cycles." When he didn't reply, she tried to pull back from him a little, thankful that he allowed her to, and looked at his crimson eyes. "Allow me to look at your arm?"

"**Only because it is you**." He said and released her.

The tone he used with those words made her cheeks warm. What was with him? Pushing it aside, she moved to his side and very gently rolled up the remaining scrap of his sleeve. She sucked in a breath through her teeth as she looked at the remaining part of his arm. The bone had been cut unevenly, almost at a slant, and tendrils of his muscle and ligaments frayed out from around it.

"Oh Sesshoumaru," She breathed, trying to push the queasiness from her stomach. "This is…bad."

His eyes fell on his arm and he growled low at his loss. "**It will take a few years, but it will grow back if taken care of**."

Cerulean eyes widened before looking at him. "It will?" She questioned. When he nodded, she exhaled loudly. "That is amazing." She poured a little bit water from her bamboo canteen onto the cloth and gently cleaned the wound.

"**It is part of being a youkai**." He replied and twitched slightly as another wave of pain shot into his shoulder.

"Are you in pain?" She felt stupid for asking the question because it was probably obvious, but if it was her, she would be passed out from the pain. When he nodded, she frowned deeply. "If I don't do something about this, you are going to get a bad infection. May I?" She asked, letting her hands illuminate with her pink power.

He eyed her cautiously, but sensed no ill-intent. He dipped his head once more and watched her carefully as she moved her small hands to his stub of an am. He felt the warmth envelope the remaining part of his arm and allowed himself to find a soft comfort in it.

"Maybe I can speed up the healing process," She murmured to him. "You can't go to war with just one arm."

"**It would make it difficult**." He agreed. His eyes fell on the white bandage around her wrist. Why hadn't Sesshoumaru noticed this before? "**What happened to your wrist**?"

Kagome remained quiet, but her lips fell into a frown again. She hadn't thought about Toto-ji's odd behavior since her and Ryura left her home. She meant to talk to him about it, but never had to chance to. "It is nothing." She finally answered.

"**Do not speak lies to me**." The beast growled. He took his hand and slid his claw along her bandage, allowing it to fall to the ground before taking her forearm in his hand. His eyes narrowed at the burn along her wrist and then met her gaze. "**Did the dragon do this to you**?"

She blinked. "Ryura-kun? No! Of course not. He wouldn't hurt me," She started, the glow disappearing from her hands. "Totosai did. He was melting my bracelet together and, um, burned me on accident." Her eyes widened when he brought her wrist to his mouth, his tongue running along to tender flesh there. A chill ran down her spine as he did, butterflies pooling in her stomach. What was wrong with her?

'_Stop it, Kagome! You are with Ryura_.'

Oh, the sweet taste of his miko. He had waited to taste her flesh since they had a mere tease of it when his other half had attacked her. He could sense her conflicting emotions, but let her go when she pulled away. "**Your wrist should be better now**."

She looked at her wrist and blinked to see her wound gone. "Arigato, Sesshoumaru." She gave him a small smile and then moved her hands back to his shoulder, hands flaring with her power.

The beast nodded and watched her for a few moments longer before his body began to shut down. The adrenaline that had caused his transformation was long gone and his nerves were settling down with her presence. It was time for him to slip into unconsciousness and allow his body to undergo its own slow healing process.

It was well into the night when Sesshoumaru managed to gain a brief moment of consciousness. Glassy, golden eyes noticed a fluctuating warmth in his shoulder and they lazily rolled to the left to see the miko next to him. If not for the lack of energy, he would have demanded to know what she was doing. He noticed her power began to flicker from her palms and quickly noted that was what the warmth was from. He let his eyes fall on her face and watched as her eyelids began to droop. Her body swayed slightly, but she managed to stay up right.

He wanted to tell her she was foolish and make her cease her actions, but he simply did not have it in him at that point and time. He would scold her in the morning, perhaps. His eyes fluttered shut once more as unconsciousness claimed him.

Kagome's head bobbed as she began to doze off. She tried to blink the sleep from her eyes, but to no avail. She stopped her reiki and looked at her work. She frowned to see that she had only managed to grow his arm back to his elbow. At this rate, it would take her another day or two to finish and that was only if her reiki lasted that long. She took the cloth that she had cleaned the wound with and wrapped it around the bottom of the wound.

Still, she had to admit that she was happy that it was in fact working. He said he would take years to heal, yet it had only taken her a few hours to heal a portion of it. With a sigh, she felt a wave of exhaustion hit her again.

She looked at the slumbering Sesshoumaru and couldn't help but give a small smile. He looked very, very peaceful when he was asleep. It was a nice change from his stern, indifferent demeanor. She wondered if he allowed anyone to see this side of him or if kept it to himself. Did Sara ever get to see this side of him? Is that why she was so crazy over him? It was hard for her to imagine a different Sesshoumaru than what she knew. True, she knew he wasn't just the cold-hearted youkai that everyone thought he was. He was brave, smart, and rational, but she couldn't fathom the idea of him being kind and gentle like Ryura.

Yawning, she moved a couple feet away from Sesshoumaru and took her blanket from her traveling pack. She swaddled herself in it and let herself relax against the plush grass before falling into a deep sleep.

**A/N**: ;) Thanks for reading, everyone!


	26. Worry

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Twenty-Six: Worry

Kagome groaned as she began to come to. She forgot how uncomfortable lying on the forest floor was. She was definitely missing her plush cot at the Western palace. She opened her eyes and stretched out her sore limbs before gazing up at the gloomy, grey sky above her. When had the rainy season started?

She let her eyes look over at Sesshoumaru and immediately frowned at his appearance. She kicked off her blanket and moved closer to him. "Sesshoumaru?" She asked, gently shaking his shoulder.

His chest was visibly rising and falling at a rapid pace. His face looked ashen compared to his usual paleness and sweat created a glistening shine on his forehead and neck. She reached out to push the sweat-clad bangs away from his forehead and pressed the back of her hand again the skin there. Her brow furrowed at the hot temperature of his flesh.

"You have a fever," She murmured, panic beginning to course through her as she fumbled with the rag that was tied at the base of his arm. She sucked in a breath when she saw the bright red hue of the skin at the bottom. She gently pressed the tips of her fingers against it and felt the heat of the infection. "Sesshoumaru!" She tried again, shaking him, but received no answer. His body must have still been working hard to heal himself.

Cursing, she tied her makeshift bandage back in place and put her hands on his face, tugging the bottom of his eyelids down to see the color of his eyes. They were back to gold so that hopefully meant he wasn't in too much pain.

"Sesshoumaru," She began softly. "I have to leave to find herbs for your infection. I will be back as soon as I can, okay?" Even though she didn't get an answer, she patted his shoulder. "Hang in there until I get back." She added and then stood up sharply.

She grabbed her pack and slung it over her shoulder before looking right and then left. Which way should she start? She wasn't worried about finding her way back to him; she would just search for his youki. The hard part would be finding the plants she needed without the proper daylight to identify them. She'd have to carefully go through each plant she found. She only hoped she would find them quickly.

Deciding to head right, she cast a final glance at the fallen taiyoukai before taking off into the forest.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Rin stirred on her futon, the sweet smell of eggs and rice filling her nose. She sat up and stretched, a loud yawn escaping her. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and blinked at Totosai as he prepared three bowls of breakfast near the fire pit in the living quarters of his home.

"Ohayo, Totosai-sama," She greeted.

His large eyes lifted from the bowl and to her face. "Ah, ohayo, little one. How are you feeling?" He asked, handing her food. He could hardly believe the two visitors that showed up at his house last night. He was even more surprised when they both nearly passed out upon their arrival.

"Rin in fine. Rin has no chest pain so Sesshoumaru-sama cannot be too far away." She said with a large smile as she accepted the food from him. "Itadakimasu!"

Totosai watched her for a moment before standing and taking two bowls into his fabrication room. He looked at the sulking hanyou on the floor and the broken Tessaiga in front of him. With a click of his tongue, he sat down next to him and handed him the bowl. "It is unfortunate we had to have our first meeting like this."

Inuyasha looked at the sword smith curiously. "You know who I am?"

He snorted, spitting out grains of rice as he did. "Of course! Your father spoke of you often."

His ears perked up, his amber eyes widening. "H-he did?"

"Are you kidding me? Your father could not stop talking of you when we met. He was very proud of you, Inuyasha."

His cheeked flushed and sadness gripped his heart as the sudden favorite memory of his father flashed behind his eyes.

_"Otou-sama! Otou-sama!" Inuyasha cried happily, running towards his father as he entered the throne room. His father had been gone for several moon cycles doing negotiations with the North and he wanted to be the first one to greet him._

_"Ho, how goes my youngest?" Touga asked with a grin as he scooped up his son with one arm. _

_"Good! I beat my old sensei so I started training with Sesshoumaru-niisama! But he's really mean and beats me a lot. Still, I won't give up, Otou-sama!" He replied hastily. There was so much he wanted to tell his father! So much time had passed! He felt he had to get it out all at once. _

_"That's my son," He replied and ruffled his ears. "I purchased you something from the Northern lands." He pulled out a red, folded haori from his armor. "It is too big for you now, but you will soon grow into it."_

_"It is a haori?" Little Inuyasha asked, taking it in his hands. He was kind of hoping for a sword like Tessaiga. Maybe then he could finally defeat his brother. _

_"Hai, but it is much more than that. This was made from the fur of a rare fire-rat. It is fire resistant and will protect you from Sesshoumaru's poison. Maybe it will assist you in your training with your brother in the future. You may even defeat him." He commented with an encouraging smile._

_He shook his head. "Nii-sama is the best. I can never be as good as him."_

_The Lord of the West pressed his nose to his son's temple and gave it a gentle nuzzle. "You will become great, Inuyasha. Do not doubt yourself." _

Inuyasha tried to blink away the strong emotions from the painfully sweet memory. "I always assumed he was in favor of Sesshoumaru." He whispered.

Totosai punched Inuyasha in the back of the head. "How can you be so dull? Your father loved the two of you equally!"

"Oi!" He yelped, grabbing the growing lump on his head. "What was that for?!"

"For being ignorant!" He scolded and then looked at him seriously. "Now, what happened?"

Inuyasha snorted as he took another bite of his breakfast. "You mean last night or what happened to Tessaiga?"

He tilted his head. "Eh? You mean they are two different occasions?!"

He nodded. "Yeah, Tessaiga broke a few days ago while in a battle with the South."

Totosai sighed. "Dare I ask if you know of the consequences of not having Tessaiga on you?"

"Found out the hard way," He replied quietly. "Why didn't my ol' man just tell me that would happen?"

He released a sigh before stuffing a large amount of his breakfast in his mouth. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "I think he was cautious of your reaction." He finally replied.

Inuyasha took another bite. "What do you mean?"

"If he told you that you would revert to your youkai-self without your Tessaiga, wouldn't you toss it aside immediately? Haven't you always wanted to be a full youkai like your brother and father?" He asked, looking at him with a knowing look.

His ears flickered before flattening against his head. "I don't know," He murmured. "But, it would have been nice to know so that I wouldn't hurt those I care about. It happened twice already."

"Who did you hurt?" Totosai asked curiously.

"The first time I almost hurt Kagome," He flinched at Totosai's dark glare. "And then I turned on her and Rin again last night. Sesshoumaru was there to save my ass both times."

"Then where are they now?" He questioned, setting down his bowl to pick up his broken masterpiece.

Inuyasha frowned. "Rin said that Sesshoumaru was wounded and from what I can gather of what she said, his beast started to come out. He fled and took Kagome with him."

The sword smith turned his eyes back to the hanyou. "You don't know where they are?" When he shook his, he frowned down at his hands. Surely this would not be the last time he saw his adopted granddaughter. Their last encounter had been bad and it was his entire fault. Still, he could not tell her why he reacted the way he did. He had to keep it a secret. But, ever since she met Sesshoumaru, she had been spending more and more time away from their cave which put her more at risk. Perhaps he should tell her.

The Western prince looked at the faraway look in his eyes. "They'll be alright, don't you think?"

He snapped out of his thoughts. "They are both stubborn and strong." He nodded and then picked up a pair of his tongs. "Now, Inuyasha, are you ready to fix your sword?"

"Eh? Of course!" He snapped. As if it was even a question!

"Then open and saw 'ahhh'…"

"Like this?"

"Wider."

"Ahhh….OW!" He wailed as Totosai pulled one of his fangs from his mouth. "That hurt!"

"Quit your yappin'. I need this to fix Tessaiga. I will begin refabricating it, but to complete it, I will need Kagome." He said with a sigh and carried the broken sword pieces and fang to the work bench. Hopefully she would come back safely.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Sara sighed dramatically on her balcony as she stared out over the Western lands as it poured. Her love had already been gone for three days and she was feeling anxious. She had asked him to send word to her when he arrived safely at Totosai's, but she hadn't heard from him. Was he there? Or was he simply ignoring her?

Her eyes narrowed at the thought. Surely he wouldn't do something so stupid when her father was a mere days away from his visit. There was only one way to find out. She moved back into her room and towards her short table. She kneeled down before it and pulled a blank scroll from the pile of them on her desk. She unrolled the beginning of it and dipped her brush in the ink.

_To Totosai and those residing in his home,_

_I am very worried about my intended. I have asked for him write me upon his arrival and yet I still have not heard from him. It is to my knowledge that it is only a two day travel to your home at a human's pace so I am wondering why I have not heard from him._

_If you can please respond to me and let me know of his location, it would be much appreciated and would ease my conscious._

_Asano Sara_

_Hime of the Northern Lands_

_Impending Lady of the West_

She rolled the scroll up and sealed it shut. She then walked to the entrance of her room and slid open her shoji door. "Ryura!" She called loudly.

Within a few seconds, he was in front of her door. "Hai, Asano-hime?"

She handed the scroll out to him, her grey eyes hard. "Have the fastest youkai we have deliver this to Totosai's dwelling."

He met her cold stare with one of his own. It was no secret she was furious that he was chosen to look over the west instead of her. But really, what did she expect? She was not Lady of the West yet. And even if she was, he highly doubted Sesshoumaru would ever let her be in charge of his lands. What could she possibly know about the Western politics? "Is that not Jura's job? He is your guard for a reason."

"Not that it is any of your business, but he is busy doing a different errand for me at the moment." She spat back, glaring at him now.

He refused to fight with the hopeless human. He did not have the energy to focus on her. His mind was too busy thinking about his intended's welfare. "I will send out your letter."

Sara blinked and cleared her throat at the sudden change of his attitude. "Well, good then," She retorted and then went to close her door, but paused as a thought crossed her mind. "Ryura, may I ask you a question?"

It really irritated him that she did not address him with a respectful title. "I suppose."

"Are you and the miko really a couple?" She asked seriously. Even though she had seen what she did, she still could not help but feel insecure that Sesshoumaru was off traveling with another human female.

His face softened at the mention of his treasure. "Yes, she is my intended."

She visibly relaxed. "Do you think they are safe?"

The dragon let a soft sigh escape his lips before they tilted into a small smile. "I was worrying about them as well. But, we need to remember that Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha, and Kagome are very strong."

She nodded once. "I suppose you are right," She rubbed her arm. "I just get worried when he's not by my side. I miss him."

"And I miss my miko, but they will return soon enough. It is important that they fix Inuyasha's sword." He stated firmly.

"True," She murmured. "Well, I bid you goodnight, Ryura. I shall see you in the morning."

He dipped his head in a nod and turned away from her room when she closed the door. He made his way down the hall and glanced at the scroll in his hand. He almost pitied her; almost, if she wasn't such a despicable woman. Anyone with eyes could see Sesshoumaru wanted nothing to do with her yet she still tried to reach out to him.

Then another thought crossed his mind. What could she possibly have Jura doing so late in such weather conditions?

*~~~SSS~~~*

Kagome was soaking wet by the time she made her way back to their small clearing. The rain had started two hours into her journey to find the herbs she needed. Her calves and her shortened hakama were caked with the mud, the substance seeping in between her toes and in between the sandals and her feet as well.

She pushed her bangs from her face and gasped slightly when she saw that Sesshoumaru and slipped from his sitting position, his body now laying on the ground, the side of his face pressed to the wet grass. She hurried over to him and tossed her pack to the floor. She tried to lift his upper torso to place him back against the tree, but found it difficult due to his weight and armor. She gave up and took her blanket out to fold it under his head instead.

She took out the herbs she had found from her pack along with her bamboo canteen. She removed the top of it to use it as a small bowl and tossed some of the herbs as well as some water in it. She pulled a small knife from her pack and used the hilt to grind the leaves and water together. She put the cap down and moved closer to Sesshoumaru. She untied the cloth around the stub of his arm and winced at how the bright red coloring had spread. She gingerly pressed the tip of her pointer finger on his skin and bit down on her lip at how hot it was.

She stood up from him with the used rag in hand and let the wound breathe for a moment. She walked over to a small puddle of rain and soaked the rag in the water. She then wrung it out and repeated the process before hanging it on a low branch so that it would gather more pure rain and then dry out when the rain stopped, hopefully removing any harmful particles.

The miko hurried back to his side and kneeled down next to him. She removed her outer haori and, though it was thoroughly soaked from the rain, wet it with a little of her water to clear the mud from it. She then gently dabbed the open part of his wound, trying to be as gentle as possible. She paused when his body flinched and then continued once it ceased.

Once she deemed it clean enough, she grabbed her makeshift bowl and put her hand on his chest, giving it a soft shake. "Sesshoumaru," She said gently, trying to rouse him. "I need you to wake up. You need to take this medicine." When she received no response, she frowned and tried shaking him a little harder. "Sesshoumaru, please."

His eyelids parted slightly, glazed over crimson red and turquoise eyes peering up at her. "**Miko**." He rumbled weakly.

She gave him a small smile. "I'm glad you're conscious. Do you think you can manage to swallow something?" When his eyes shut again, she frowned and tried shaking him again. "Sesshoumaru?" She began to hesitate when he didn't respond. If this part of him was back, did that mean he was in a great deal of pain? She had to get him to drink the herb mixture in order to fight the infection spreading in his arm.

Deciding that the best thing to do was give him the mixture forefully, she lifted the back of his head a bit and took a mouthful of the mixture. She then lowered her face to his and pressed her lips against his partly opened ones and let the mixture pour in as while she ran her thumb over his throat to help him swallow. Once she felt him swallow, she went to pull away but froze when she felt his lips move and lock against hers, trapping her in a kiss.

For a moment, she was lost. Not a single coherent thought could be formed in her mind nor could she make her body pull away from him. She was simply still, unable to do anything.

But as quickly as it started, it ended. And once it was done, the cloud that formed in her mind cleared, and the chains that held her body disappeared, allowing her to move once again. She looked down at him with a confused and shocked expression, but he was unconscious once again.

She would ask him about it later.

Maybe.

Frowning, she decided to push what happened to the back of her mind and illuminated her hands with her reiki to begin healing his arm once again.


	27. Headaches

**DISCLAIMER: **All Inuyasha goodness belongs to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_The Sword Smith's Secret_**

**_By MissKatt_**

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Headaches

The Lord of the Western lands opened his eyes slowly as he felt something wet drip onto his face. He blinked twice, trying to clear his pools of molten honey from the blurry remains of his sleep. He then flinched slightly when a few raindrops dripped onto his face again.

_'Rain?'_ He questioned and then tried to make himself sit up. He felt a separate weight on him shift and immediately became alert. He poised his claws for the attack, but stilled them when he saw the miko fast asleep on him, both of her hands on his wounded arm while her head rested on his chest.

"Miko? What are you doing? Remove yourself from this Sesshoumaru." He said sternly as he propped himself up on his only elbow. He frowned when he didn't get a response. He tried calling her again, this time louder, "Miko." When she still remained asleep in his lap, he lifted himself in a sitting position, causing her head to fall into his lap.

'**Do not wake her**,' His beast scolded. '**She has done much for us**.'

Sesshoumaru glared slightly at his beast's words as he stared down at the miko. Her clothes were damp, her hair almost just as wet. He studied her flushed face and at the way the apples of her cheeks were pink. His brow furrowed slightly when she sniffled. Was she sick? He let his hand touch her warm forehead and frowned as he confirmed her illness.

'**It is to be expected. She continued to heal us during the rain and through the night. She let us use her blanket as a pillow. She even used her haori to cleanse our wound.**' He commented.

Golden orbs slanted over to his arm and saw her forest green haori tied around the end of it. He had to acknowledge with great surprise that his arm had grown down to the middle of his forearm. Had the miko really done so much in two days? Also, he admitted that he felt good. No, he felt better than good. He felt…refreshed; renewed, even. When was the last time he felt like this?

'**We should get her to Totosai's home. Neither of us is in the position to defend ourselves.**'

Sesshoumaru nodded in agreement. She had healed him this far and he owed her enough to at least get her to safety. He shifted her off of his lap and stood up so he could pack her things back in her bag. He tossed the bag onto his shoulder and hunched down next to her. He bent closer to her so he could loop his good arm under her legs while his stub rested on her back. As he went to lift her, his beast chose to show him the memory of them kissing the day before. His eyes widened slightly as his beast's reaction filled him. His eyes fell on her parted lips and he had to resist the urge to experience what his beast had.

He shook off the feeling quickly. He would not stoop to his beast's level, or to Ryura's. All thoughts of kissing the miko out of his head, he easily lifted her, even with his stub, and began to head towards Totosai's house.

*~~~SSS~~~*

Ryura sat in the throne room, his chin in between his thumb and pointer finger as he took in the information his spy had reported to him. He raised his crimson eyes and locked them onto his subordinate's. "Are you certain that is what you saw? What you heard?" He asked.

The dragon youkai nodded. "Hai."

He could not believe it. There was no way she was doing something so risky and stupid, right? Did she not know that this could completely derail the mating as well as the alliance? This could ruin all peace with the West and North. Was it as it seemed or was there something else going on?

He shook his head he needed to hear it again. "Tell me again of your mission."

The dragon ran his claws through his dark green, spikey hair. His yellow eyes flashed with irritation; he did not like repeating himself. "Did you not hear what I said?"

Ryura's lip curled with a growl. "Seiryu, do not make me ask you again. Even though the dragon tribe no longer holds a position in the Four Points, I am still your superior in both age and skill. You would do well to remember that." He warned.

He clenched his hands into fists, his blue-grey scales shifting along his body. He would not dare try to strike Ryura. He was fast, but he was faster. He somewhat valued his life and did not want to lose it that day. "Hai, Ryura-sama.," He grumbled. "I tracked Jura down as you commanded me and followed him in the shadows. After some time he had stopped in a village in the southern lands. I trailed him into a small tavern and sat down at the opposite side of the hut."

"And?" Ryura pressed.

He shrugged. "I am not sure who this person was, but someone soon joined Jura at his table. It was a female youkai with dark brown hair and red eyes; her scent was that of pine and the freshness of the crisp air. Also, she had a small human child with her. It was a boy who seemed to be in his early human adulthood years."

The Western guard furrowed his brows. "Did you hear of their conversation?"

Seiryu nodded. "I do not remember word for word," He waved his hand absent-mindedly. "But it had something to do with them making an agreement with the boy. Jura was saying that his lady had certain requirements and standards before she agreed to _his_ deal. They never said what his name was, but apparently she's making a deal with this person."

"What exactly were they making an agreement with? The boy was from them, what was she bartering?"

The ninja put his hands on his hips as he thought. "They did say something about a young girl…maybe something about a political alliance? I don't remember it much. I had a couple cups of sake." He gave a shrug.

Ryura blinked at the information again before sighing. "You are dismissed. Good work, Seiryu."

"Hai, Ryura-sama." He murmured before giving a bow and leaving.

When the dragon ninja left, he went back to thinking over the information. "A girl…a boy…agreement…an alliance…?" He pursed his lips together before it hit him. "An arranged marriage? With Rin-hime?" His eyes widened. Was the boy Naraku's son? Was she trying to make an alliance with the South without Sesshoumaru's consent or knowledge?

He clenched his hands tightly into fists. How long had these negotiations been going on? How had no one found out about it? Was she that sneaky? Did her father have a role in this? He put his fingers to his temples and massaged them gently as he felt a headache creeping upon him. He took a deep breath to try and calm himself. As he released it, he looked up at the ceiling and contemplating his options.

It would be risky sending word of this to Sesshoumaru when he wasn't sure if he was at Totosai's or not. Had they left yet? Had they even arrived? Or where they there? He couldn't risk it. He would have to wait until they came back to tell him of his impending mate's possible treason.

He needed them to hurry back and for the first time since the group had set out, it wasn't because he missed his miko.

*~~~SSS~~*

Rin glanced down at the parchment in her uncle's hands and then up at his blinking eyes. "What are you going to do, Oji-san?" She asked curiously, tilting her head to the side.

The hanyou looked down at his niece and gave a soft huff. "I don't know, kiddo. This onna is crazy." He said, tapping the scroll with his claw. "I really hope this girl doesn't become our beta."

"Beta?" Rin echoed.

Inuyasha nodded. "The mate of our alpha. Sesshoumaru is alpha," At her blank look, he sighed. "It just means he is the leader of our small family."

"Oh," She lifted a brow at him. "Why did you not just say that?"

He eyed her for a moment and decided not to argue back with her. He turned back to the scroll that Sara had sent them and read over her words once again. He knew he had to write her back or she would go wailing back to her father. That would only cause more drama for his half-brother and then that would result in him getting beat for not avoiding the drama.

But, what was he to tell her? Sesshoumaru wasn't there and he didn't know where he was. Oh well, it was better to lie than get her upset.

"Totosai!" He called loudly, walking into the fabrication room.

The sword smith paused his hammering and turned to look at the hanyou. "Eh?"

"Do you have ink?" He questioned, pointing to the parchment.

"Hai, hai," He replied, pointing to the brush and small bottle of ink. "Take it and get out so I can finish."

Inuyasha grabbed the bottle and brush all while grumbling about senile sword smith's and their cranky attitude. He moved back into the sitting room where Rin was and unrolled the scroll further on the floor. He then dipped the brush in the ink and began to write Sara back a response.

_Asano_

_We all arrived safely. The sword is taking longer than expected to fix. We will be back as soon as we can._

_Inuyasha_

_Waka of the Western Lands_

"There, that should appease her," He said, rolling the scroll back up and tying the string it came with around it since he didn't have any wax to seal it. He looked at Rin's frown and lifted a brow. "What?"

"Asano-hime may not be a pleasant person, but Rin does not think she is stupid." She chimed in, grabbing the brush and ink from him to practice her kanji on the paper Totosai had given her yesterday. "If you send her that, won't she wonder why Sesshoumaru-sama did not write her himself?"

He blinked. "You're too clever for your own good, kid," He said, ruffling her hair. "Still, it'll have to do." He stood from his spot and walked to the entrance of the cave where the messenger waited. "Here you go. Also, tell Ryura that he is ordered to train the troops harder."

The messenger bowed deep to his prince and took off towards the West. Inuyasha watched him disappear in the grey of the rain and sighed heavily. The runt was right, of course. Sara would start to wonder why Sesshoumaru had not written her. He could only hope Ryura would back him up. The dragon was clever that way. But, then again, wouldn't Ryura start wondering what was going on as well? What if he came to check on Kagome and she wasn't there yet? He didn't want to deal with an angered dragon; he had already witnessed his fury once.

He leaned against the mouth of the cave and put his fingers to his temples before he began to massage them as a headache throbbed its way into his skull. This whole thing was troublesome. He wanted to go out and look for Sesshoumaru and Kagome, but didn't want to cause Rin any pain by her not being near any part of her pack.

The hanyou knew this was his entire fault. If he hadn't broken Tessaiga, they wouldn't have had to travel to Totosai's and Sesshoumaru wouldn't have gotten hurt trying to protect Rin and Kagome from him. If he hadn't been so careless, they would all still be back at the Western palace, not separated.

He inhaled deeply and then froze before he released it. Even through the rain, that scent was so familiar to him. The smell had assaulted his nose ever since he was born. He let his amber eyes scan the haze in front of him until he saw the tall figure strolling towards him, another figure in his arms.

"Sessho-"

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Kagome-neesan!" Rin shouted, now standing next to Inuyasha. She had felt the bond they shared pulse and she just knew he was close. She went to run towards them and pouted when Inuyasha held her back.

Sesshomaru looked up as he heard his ward and was glad that she was alright. He had been slightly worried leaving her in Inuyasha's care, when he was unconscious, but he could not control his actions at the time. Deep down though, he knew his beast had deemed it safe for her to be with him.

_'Instincts.'_ He mused. How would creatures survive without them?

"Rin," He said as he entered the mouth of the deceased youkai, rain dripping from his bangs and clothes. "I trust you have behaved for Totosai and Inuyasha?"

"Hai! Rin has!" She wide smile.

Inuyasha frowned as he looked at his alpha and the miko is his arms. "Is she-?"

"Sick," Sesshoumaru cut him off and carried her into the cave, his two pack mates following behind him. He laid her down next to the fire and set her pack down next to her. "Rin, fetch Totosai and tell him to bring dry cloths."

"Hai!" She nodded and then ran off to the fabrication room to get the old man.

The western prince readied a cup of tea for his brother. As he handed it to him, he couldn't help but look at the stub of his arm. "Your arm…"

Sesshoumaru removed his soaking wet haori as well as the under one and tossed it by the flame. He took the cup from Inuyasha and looked down at his arm. "The miko has healed it as far as it is." He commented before sipping his tea.

Inuyasha nodded and looked over at the slumbering miko. He jumped slightly when Totosai rushed into the room shouting his granddaughter's name and wailing with sobs. "Oi! Old man! Don't go around shouting like that!"

"Oh, hush you!" He scowled at him and then fussed over his sleeping assistant. "Oh, Kagome, Kagome! What did he do to you?" He cried, patting her wet hair.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Rin spoke up, walking towards him. "Here you go."

He took the towel from her and dried his face and bare chest off before wrapping it around the bottom part of his hair to absorb the water. He then looked over at Totosai. "She is sick, but it does not seem serious."

Rin kneeled down next to her and tried to dry her off with a towel. She didn't want to undress her with all the men around, but she would still try to dry her off. "No, she will be fine. She has a night cold." When the three demons looked at her oddly, she blinked. "It is from being wet in the cold. Rin used to get them when she lived in the village. Kagome-neesan will get well soon; it doesn't last too long."

"R-really?" Totosai asked, a hopeful smile on his aged face.

Rin nodded with a smile. "No need to worry!"

"Thank Kami!" He wailed again and then turned to Sesshoumaru. He pointed a finger at him. "You!"

The taiyoukai raised a brow. "Yes?"

"How do you expect me to trust you with my assistant if you cannot even keep her well?! And where is the dragon youkai she was with?!" He snapped.

"He is taking my place at the Western palace and leading it in my stead." Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And I did not ask you to lend me your miko. She came to me and the West of her own free will."

"That is not what I heard! You snatched her away when you were wounded." He snapped, sitting down across from her.

**_'He is correct.' _**His beast pointed out.**_ 'She touched us when we fled and was absorbed into our light.'_**

The Western lord took in his beast's words and looked at the sword smith. "It was not intended." He glanced down at his arm and then over at the sleeping miko.

"I do not care if it wasn't intended! She is sick because she disappeared with you! What good did it do?!" He snapped again.

"Despite her being sick, her presence mattered. She healed me and for that I am thankful."

Inuyasha snorted. "She ain't done yet. Your arm isn't finished. You'll be useless in the war."

Totosai's bug eyes locked onto Sesshoumaru's arm. "Kagome is healing your arm? As in, re-growing it?"

"Indeed." He confirmed.

His eyes then fell on her again. "Amazing. Speeding up and youkai's healing process to help regrow a limb. She is more powerful than I thought," As the words came out of his mouth, panic filled him as a thought crossed his mind. He instantly moved to look at her wrist and sighed in relief when he saw it was still in place.

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru exchanged a glance. Coming from the same father, they always shared the same thought when something was amiss.

"What is so special about this bracelet of hers?" Inuyasha asked.

"You burned her when putting it on once again," Sesshoumaru stated, relaying the message his beast sent him. "Why is it so important?"

Instantly, a scowl marred his face once again. He stood abruptly and turned from them. "Keep your snouts in your own businesses." He spat and then disappeared into his fabrication room.

Rin watched him go and then looked at her family. "Sesshoumaru-sama? Inuyasha-ojisan?"

Sesshoumaru looked at her and shook his head. "Do not fret, Rin," He met Inuyasha's skeptical gaze. "We will save the topic for another day."

"Keh, if you say so." Inuyasha muttered.

**A/N: Seiryu appeared in Inuyasha episode 137! You can look him up on Inuyasha Wiki :)**


End file.
